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☆ Inside Ukraine’s scramble for “game-changer” drone fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

It is hoping that domestic drone makers like AeroDrone will help it meet its ambitious goals. The government is now working with more than 80 Ukraine-based drone manufacturers, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters. RUSSIAN TERRITORYThe range and potency of Ukraine's drones is a sensitive issue. Danilov, the national security council head, acknowledged Ukraine’s reliance on other countries for more high-tech drone components. "We are trying to fulfil our needs in this sector with domestic production, but we realise that it's unlikely we will be able to fulfil everything," he said.

☆ Four killed in Russian drone strike on Kyiv region, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sergiy Karazy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Rescuers work at a site of building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Rzhyshchiv, in Kyiv region, Ukraine March 22, 2023. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSRZHYSHCHIV, Ukraine, March 22 (Reuters) - At least four people were killed early on Wednesday in a Russian drone strike near Kyiv which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said showed Moscow was not interested in peace. State emergency officials said the search for survivors was continuing after attacks that the Ukrainian military said involved Iranian-made Shahed drones. "Over 20 Iranian murderous drones, plus missiles, numerous shelling incidents, and that's just in one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 16 of the 21 drones launched at Ukraine overnight from the north.

Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said they were sent before Russia's February 2022 invasion on Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. The U.S. move on Thursday comes after the United States has accused China of considering supplying arms to Russia and warned Beijing against such a move. Moscow and Tehran have moved to forge closer relations after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, prompting sweeping Western sanctions. Russia and Iran, which is also under Western sanctions, are among the world's largest oil exporters.

☆ Ukraine Fends Off Drone Attacks as Russia Makes Slow Gains in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | Photographs Manu Brabo For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine—Russia launched a new wave of drones at Ukraine, most of which were shot down, as fighters from Russia’s Wagner paramilitary organization pressed their slow and grinding advance into the eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 13 out of the 15 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones that flew toward Ukrainian cities overnight, the country’s air force said Monday. It didn’t specify what the remaining two drones hit, but there were no reports of disruption to infrastructure.

☆ Russia Makes Slow Gains in Bakhmut as Ukraine Fends Off Drone Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | Photographs Manu Brabo For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Under the radar, Germany trains Ukrainians on advanced air defence weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is a modern system, whereas they have known the potential of the Leopard tanks for a while," said a German air force officer by way of explanation. Asked about the main differences to older Soviet-built air defences such as the S-300 or Buk, the Ukrainians cited greater effectiveness but also greater complexity. A German trainer said IRIS-T, built by German arms maker Diehl, could not be operated by "turning a switch on and off. It takes only a third of the time to set up its radar compared with the decades-old Patriot system - a critical factor, as any air defence system gives away its position once the radar is turned on. In Ukraine, the air space is closed - if anything flies there, it can be dangerous," said Dmytro.

☆ Russia Launches New Wave of Iranian-Made Drones Against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia launched a new wave of Iranian-made drones against Ukrainian cities, breaking a weekslong lull in such attacks, as its forces continued to tighten their grip around the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukraine’s military said it shot down 11 out of 14 Iranian-made Shahed drones late Sunday and early Monday, including all nine that were aimed at the capital city of Kyiv. The remaining three drones, however, hit targets in the central city of Khmelnytskyi, with explosions there killing two rescue workers and injuring three other people, according to the local government. Russia also fired S-300 missiles at the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, hitting an infrastructure site but causing no casualties, the local government said.

KYIV, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A hairdresser by day and a "drone hunter" by night, Oleksandr Shamshur, 41, is among tens of thousands of volunteers helping defend the skies over Ukraine against Russian attacks. [1/7] Hairdresser and Ukrainian Territorial Defence unit volunteer Oleksandr Shamshur, 41-year-old, prepares to guard sky over capital against Russian suicide drones in the beginning of his shift, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 2, 2023. "With the enemy at the doorstep, I had to do something, I had to act in defence," he said. During the night of Dec. 29-30, Shamshur said, his rooftop unit shot down two drones over Kyiv. Reporting by Margaryta Choronkondratenko and Yiming Woo; writing by Mark Heinrich; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The explosive warheads in the suicide drones Russia is using against Ukraine are built to shred targets for maximum damage: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The explosive warheads in suicide drones the used by Russia are designed to shred targets apart. The warheads have been fitted with small metal fragments, according to a new investigation. Russia has used these Iranian-made drones to wreak havoc on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The report said that the warhead's overall construction appeared to be well done, but added that the metal fragments appeared to be a "later addition" and were poorly fitted. Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones, including many suicide drones, a kind of loitering munition, and the Biden administration has warned that the two are forming a "full-fledged defense partnership."

☆ Band of Barbers, Judges and Security Guards Uses Soviet-Era Guns to Repel Russian Drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Matthew Luxmoore | Photographs Sasha Maslov For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—A unit of Ukrainian volunteers took aim as the drone passed through the fog at the end of last year, emitting its trademark growl. One member pulled the trigger of his modified Soviet-era heavy machine gun. The drone—a Shahed-136 produced by Iran but launched by Russia—plummeted to the ground, the gun operator later recalled.

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday put new trade restrictions on seven Iranian entities for producing drones that Russia has used to attack Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Commerce said. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York said: "Sanctions have no effect on Iran's drone production capacity because its drones are all produced domestically. This is a strong indication that the drones shot down in Ukraine and using parts made by Western countries don't belong to Iran." In January, Canada announced it would buy a U.S.-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) for Ukraine. The United States has provided two NASAMS to Ukraine and more are on the way.

Ukraine's military said it shot down 47 of 59 Russian missiles - some fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers in the Russian Arctic. Russia responded with fury to news on Wednesday that Germany and the United States would send dozens of modern tanks to Ukraine. [1/11] A local resident carry home staff from a house of his neighbour damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine January 26, 2023. After being promised modern tanks, Ukraine is now seeking Western fourth-generation fighter jets such as the U.S. F-16, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister said. The United States on Thursday formally designated Russian private military company the Wagner Group as a transnational criminal organization, freezing its U.S. assets for helping Russia's military in the Ukraine war.

☆ Military tech is racing towards a dangerous AI future, and Russia's war in Ukraine is paving the way, drone experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Currently, the drones are guided at launch by a human operator, according to independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. But more advanced drone technology is enabling what Rogers calls "on" the loop of control. "In the case of the systems that we have seen used, there's still a human operator authorizing the use of force," she said. Under pressure and potentially under fire, a drone operator may take the machine's prompt less as a suggestion and more as an infallible instruction. In a fully autonomous future of drone warfare, he asked, will drone AI be programmed "to avoid those who are waving a white flag?"

☆ Ukraine is raising funds to build a strike force of 1,000 exploding drones to help defeat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian intelligence unit has appealed for funds to buy up to 1,000 exploding drones. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have made extensive use of drones in the conflict. The Kryla, part of Ukraine's military-intelligence service, wants a fleet of 1,000 so-called first-person-view drones to help defend its front line against Russian forces. The defense ministry said such drones could collect intelligence and essentially function as snipers from a distance of about 6 miles. Funds are being raised through the "Starlife-Charity" foundation, which has helped Ukrainian forces since Russia invaded in February.

☆ Ukraine's battlefields look like World War I but with a new and terrifying addition that leaves troops with almost nowhere to hide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conflict in Ukraine has emerged as the first major war involving drone use on both sides. By the late 1990s, Predator drones were being used by the US and NATO for reconnaissance missions in the Kosovo War. Ukraine has in many ways emerged as a guinea pig for drone warfare. Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesLater in the war, Russia began launching swarms of Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones, striking targets across Ukraine. Drones have significantly shortened the so-called kill chain, Cancian explained, helping troops swiftly locate targets and provide coordinates for artillery.

☆ Ukraine is raising funds to build a strike force of 1,000 kamikaze drones to help defeat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukraine intelligence unit has appealed for funds to buy up to 1,000 kamikaze drones. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have made extensive use of suicide drones in the conflict. The "Kryla," part of Ukraine's military intelligence service, wants a fleet of 1,000 so-called first-person-view drones to help defend its front line against Russian forces. Funds are being raised through the "Starlife-Charity" foundation, which has helped Ukrainian forces since Russia invaded last February. The defense ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ Iranian-made drones cost as little as $20,000 to make, but up to $500,000 to shoot down, a growing concern in Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Iranian-made drones cost as little as $20,000, but can cost much more to shoot down. Ukraine launched multiple costly missiles over New Year to deal with Russia's drones, NYT reported. While the Shahed-136 drones being deployed by Russia cost as little as $20,000 to make, shooting one out of the sky can cost between $140,000-$500,000, the paper reported. "Shooting $4 million missiles at $250,000 Russian cruise missiles might be justified if those missiles would hit sensitive targets. Shooting a $4 million missile at a $50,000 Iranian Shahed-136 drone would probably not," they said.

☆ Western-Supplied Air Defense Helps Ukraine Repel Russian Drone Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine is improving its ability to intercept the Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia has relied on to damage Ukrainian infrastructure, with Western-suppied air-defense systems increasingly helping Kyiv repel the attacks. In the first days of the year, Russia has relied on Iranian-made Shahed drones to destroy and degrade Ukrainian energy and other infrastructure. All 39 drones that Russians launched into the country Sunday night and Monday were shot down, according to the Ukrainian air force. Kyiv, the target of most of the drones, had no scheduled blackouts on Tuesday morning, after its electric grid avoided additional damage.

☆ Russian anger over deadly Ukrainian strike; Zelenskyy says Moscow aims to 'exhaust' Ukraine with attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russian anger is rising over deadly Ukrainian strikes that killed dozens of Moscow's soldiers, and some lawmakers are demanding punishment for commanders that they say put troops in danger. Ukrainians on Tuesday woke to news of more Russian attacks that took place overnight. It was the third consecutive night of strikes since New Year's Eve, in what Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy called Moscow's attempt to "exhaust" his country with prolonged offensives. Ukraine's armed forces say that they shot the majority of Russia's Iranian-made Shahed drones out of the sky in the opening days of 2023. Some NATO members look to turn current military spending targets for the group into minimum requirements.

☆ Ukraine says it shot down all of the suicide drones Russia fired into the country as it rang in the new year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine says it shot down all of the drones launched by Russia on December 31 and January 1. A Ukrainian air force spokesperson said Russia launched 84 Iranian-made suicide drones during that time. "Such results have never been achieved before," Yuriy Ignat said on Tuesday of Ukraine's air defense successes. He said that over the last four months, Kyiv has shot down 500 drones launched by Russia. It added that over 30 of the suicide drones launched by Russia were shot down over Kyiv.

☆ Zelenskiy: Russia plans protracted drone campaign to 'exhaust' Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Russia is planning a protracted campaign of attacks with Iranian drones to "exhaust" Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday. "We have information that Russia is planning a protracted attack using Shahed drones," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defences, our energy." Ukraine, he said, had to "act and do everything so that the terrorists' fail in their aim, as all their others have failed." Reporting by Ron Popeski and Elaine Monaghan; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

That was on top of 31 missile attacks and 12 air strikes across the country in the past 24 hours. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on Twitter: "Russia coldly and cowardly attacked Ukraine in the early hours of the new year. But Putin still does not seem to understand that Ukrainians are made of iron." Russian media also reported multiple Ukrainian attacks on the Moscow-controlled parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with local officials saying at least nine people were wounded. There was no immediate response from Kyiv, which rarely comments on attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine.

☆ Russia attacked Kyiv with a drone inscribed with 'Happy New Year' in a wave of strikes on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Kit Gillet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The wreckage of a Russian drone inscribed with the message "Happy New Year" was discovered in Kyiv. Russia has ramped up its air strikes on Ukraine in recent days, including on New Year's Eve. The strikes across Ukraine on New Year's Eve also included at least 20 cruise missiles, officials said. Russia said the latest strikes targeted locations involved in the manufacture of drones, with the aim of limiting attacks on Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly said that Russia rarely hits military targets, and mostly harms ordinary people and civilian infrastructure.

Cars burn on a street after a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack of Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine December 24, 2022. On Wednesday, the shelling hit the maternity wing of a hospital, though no-one was hurt, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff. Zelenskiy is vigorously pushing a 10-point peace plan that envisages Russia respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity and pulling out all its troops. TASS cited Lavrov as saying that Russia would continue to build up its fighting strength and technological capabilities in Ukraine. KHERSON ATTACKSOn the battlefront, Russia shelled more than 25 settlements around Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Wednesday.

☆ Striking video appears to show Ukrainian suicide drones destroying a column of Russian armored vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine shared footage it says shows several Russian armored vehicles being taken out. It appears to include footage from the view of "suicide" drones just before they hit the vehicles. The video, shared Tuesday, includes airborne footage that approaches the armored vehicles at speed before crashing into them and abruptly cutting out. That footage appears to be taken from the perspective of loitering munitions, otherwise known as suicide drones, as they are destroyed in the attack. Both the Ukrainian and Russian side have made extensive use of suicide drones, with Iran-made Shahed-136 drones powering much of Russia's bombardment of civilian areas and energy infrastructure.

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