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☆ A Ukrainian drone maker said they're building drones that can carry out surprise attacks to target Russia's 'very expensive' equipment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Drone maker Valeriy Borovyk told CNN that he's building "very stealthy" drones for Ukraine. He said the drones can be used to carry out surprise attacks on "very expensive" Russian equipment. He told CNN that his team is developing some long-range drones, as well. Drone maker Valeriy Borovyk told CNN that he calls the drones "Vidsyich," which is Ukrainian for "repel." "We mostly concentrate [our attacks] on very expensive [Russian] equipment," he told CNN.

Persons: Valeriy Borovyk, —, James Patton Rogers, Mia Jankowicz, Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, Fedorov Organizations: CNN, Service, UK's Royal United Services Institute, University of Southern, Digital Transformation, Russia Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, University of Southern Denmark

Ukrainian forces set up Starlink satellite receivers to provide connection for civilians at Independence Square after the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson to the eastern bank of Dnieper River, Ukraine, on November 13, 2022. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Thursday it has agreed to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals from Elon Musk's SpaceX for use in Ukraine as Kyiv continues to defend itself against a full-scale Russian invasion. "We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement to CNBC. Musk reportedly told the Pentagon in October he would no longer finance the Starlink terminals in Ukraine as the country prepared to fight through the harsh winter months.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Mykhailo Fedorov, Musk, Starlink, SpaceX wouldn't Organizations: Independence, WASHINGTON, Pentagon, Elon, SpaceX, CNBC, Bloomberg, Twitter, CNN Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, Kyiv, Europe

☆ A Ukrainian donation drive built an 'Army of Drones' and picked up an unusual system called a 'Shahed Hunter' for Kyiv's forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It has used the funds to purchase thousands of UAVs, and systems to hunt Russian drones. The Shahed Hunter system is a network of radars and signal jammers that can detect Russian drones from around 25 miles away, Fedorov said. It's unclear where, exactly, the Shahed Hunter systems have been used or how many times they have been deployed. But Fedorov noted that Ukraine needs more of the systems to defend against continuous waves of Russian drone attacks. On Sunday night alone, Ukraine's air defense systems shot down 35 drones — 30 of which targeted Kyiv, according to the country's defense ministry.

☆ Ukraine has trained an army of 10,000 drone pilots ahead of anticipated counteroffensive, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine said it had trained 10,000 drone pilots. Ukraine's deputy prime minister said the "Army of Drones" initiative had raised $325 million. "We have recently completed the first part of the UAV pilot training project; 10,000 pilots have been trained during this time," Fedorov said. "That is, the Drone Army is about the comprehensive development of the UAV sector, both from the point of view of production and from the point of view of their use." Russia this week accused Ukraine of being behind an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, which Ukraine has denied.

☆ Ukraine's tech entrepreneurs fight war on a different front
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michael Kahn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

It's an example of how some startups in Ukraine's dynamic tech sector are switching to pursue military projects. Pavlo Kartashov, director of the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF), a government-backed organization that seeds technology startups, told Reuters his group resumed funding in October. Demand from the government has driven the shift to military technology, but most of the entrepreneurs who spoke to Reuters said that patriotic duty also played a role. "There are much more ideas in military technology," said Krasovsky, the founder and chief executive of Swedish-Ukrainian Sigma Software Group. Groups like the Polish-Ukrainian Start Up Bridge - a Polish-government backed venture - offer emerging Ukrainian tech companies small grants to fund basic business needs and a co-working space in Warsaw.

☆ Russia's military is being accused of stealing video game characters from 'Atomic Heart' to promote itself
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian army's clothing brand was spotted using posters with characters from the game "Atomic Heart." But the game's developers told Insider they never gave the Kremlin permission to use their work. Ukraine previously tried to boycott "Atomic Heart," accusing its developers of having Russian ties. The posters appear to show characters from "Atomic Heart" dressed in the store's clothing, with the apparel brand's name written at the top. However, the developers of "Atomic Heart," Mundfish, told Insider in a statement on Thursday that it never struck a deal with the Russian military.

☆ I helped create a 'cyber army' to help Ukraine defeat Russia. We can't fight with guns, but we can fight with our laptops.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Yegor Aushev appealed for volunteers for a "cyber army" to help Ukraine defeat Russia. Within the first few days of the war, we separated the cyber army into groups of between 7 to 10 people. Our call for decentralized cyber army volunteers is probably what inspired others to create their own groups, such as Ukraine's IT army, formed a few days later by the minister of digitization, Mykhailo Fedorov. Another project involved using tech to recognize who was in photos left by Russian soldiers in Bucha near Kyiv. If it was a couple hundred Russian SIMs, of course it's Russian soldiers and not tourists.

☆ Turkey turns down Elon Musk's offer to activate SpaceX Starlink in the country after deadly earthquake, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk offered to activate SpaceX Starlink internet in Turkey after it suffered a deadly earthquake. On Monday, Turkey and Syria were hit by a massive earthquake that killed hundreds of people. SpaceX and Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. SpaceX has sent thousands of Starlink internet dishes to Ukraine and its troops. In September, Musk said SpaceX planned to activate Starlink in Iran because of internet outages during protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody.

☆ Ukraine is using Palantir's software for 'targeting,' CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its software helps Ukraine target, for instance, tanks and artillery, a Palantir spokesperson said. The company, whose co-founders include Karp and investor Peter Thiel, has opened an office in Ukraine. "There are huge ethical issues on the battlefield," he said at an event Palantir hosted in Palo Alto. Japan is a "very high priority" market for Palantir including in defense, another Palantir official, Kevin Kawasaki, said in an interview. Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, Calif.; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Elon Musk says Starlink is the 'connectivity backbone' for Ukraine amid the war, despite it being banned for long-range drone strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Starlink was the "connectivity backbone" for Ukraine in the war. But SpaceX has banned Starlink from being used in long-range drone strikes, he said. The host accused Musk of supplying technology and satellites for drone attacks and being "in principle, a war criminal." In response, Musk tweeted: "SpaceX Starlink has become the connectivity backbone of Ukraine all the way up to the front lines. "However, we are not allowing Starlink to be used for long-range drone strikes.

☆ 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 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.

☆ Ukraine's deputy prime minister says it is educating its citizens about the dangers of deepfakes as it fights Russian disinformation in 'a war of technologies'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, spoke at the Tech Power and Cooperation panel in Davos. He said Ukraine had seen a lot of Russian propaganda and deepfakes, so educated citizens about it. He spoke on the Tech Power and Cooperation panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, where topics included the potential dangers of facial recognition technology. Fedorov, who is also the minister of digital transformation, said: "We saw a lot of Russian propaganda and we saw a lot of deepfakes." Fedorov also spoke about how facial recognition allowed Ukraine to identify dead Russian soldiers and inform their families.

☆ Amazon helped rescue the Ukrainian government and economy using suitcase-sized hard drives brought in over the Polish border: 'You can't take out the cloud with a cruise missile'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In one initiative, Amazon sent suitcase-sized computer drives to back up critical data to the cloud. Using suitcase-sized solid-state hard drives, called Snowball Edge units — delivered to Ukraine through the Polish border — Amazon has helped back up critical infrastructure and economic information beginning the day Russia launched its invasion. In July, Amazon was awarded the Ukrainian peace prize for its work assisting the invaded country in backing up essential files to the cloud. "It's a tense moment around the baggage carousel," The Los Angeles Times reported Maxwell said. "You can't take out the cloud with a cruise missile," The Los Angeles Times reported Maxwell said.

☆ President Biden says Elon Musk's relationships with other countries are worth looking into
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article TSLATWTR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTJoe Biden, left, and Elon Musk Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters; Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAsked on Wednesday whether Tesla , SpaceX and Twitter CEO Elon Musk posed a threat to national security, President Joe Biden said that the centi-billionaire's "relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at." Biden said, "Elon Musk's cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at. Throughout 2022, Musk has accused the President of ignoring his electric vehicle venture, Tesla, despite its success, and favoring legacy automakers and their unions. The kingdom of Qatar also participated in Musk's Twitter deal. The Ukrainian government, which generally praises SpaceX and Musk, is now looking for alternatives to Starlink, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last Thursday.

☆ Ukraine looks to technology to help rebuild its economy amid Russia’s onslaught
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

An attendee passes by the Ukraine stand at the Web Summit 2022 tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Ukraine had a notable presence at Web Summit, where it sought support from the global tech community to bolster its fight against Russia. In 2021, Ukraine had a small booth at Web Summit, Krasovsky said. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (right) and First Lady Olena Zelenska (center) attend the Ukraine booth at Web Summit 2022. SID Venture Partners, a venture fund set up by Sigma and fellow Ukrainian tech firms Ideasoft and Datrics, has so far invested in 10 startups with Ukrainian founders, Krasovsky said.

Web Summit, the sector’s annual bash held in Lisbon, is doing the opposite. And the usual welter of tech companies, investors and celebrities are still milling around. That new strain of reality-based tech investing has a lot further to go, though. The relative lack of investor focus at Web Summit on new technologies that could really move the dial, such as ways to ease climate change, is striking. The sector, Smith told Breakingviews, will increasingly “influence what people talk about and who comes to Web Summit”.

[1/2] An Ukrainian start-up desk is seen at the Web Summit, Europe's largest technology conference, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian entrepreneurs brought a message of hope to this week's Web Summit in Lisbon, Europe's largest tech gathering that ended on Friday: the war has made them more resilient than ever. "Many more Ukrainians came to the Web Summit this time," he added, standing in front of the Ukrainian pavillion. Web Summit chief Paddy Cosgrave told Reuters last week 59 Ukrainian startups were at the 2022 event. "This is a good sign that the Ukrainian tech and startup ecosystem is developing even during a time of war," said Sobolenko.

LISBON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine trusts Elon Musk to continue providing internet access through his SpaceX rocket company's Starlink satellite system despite a wobble last month, but is also seeking additional providers, one of its deputy prime ministers said on Thursday. Mykhailo Fedorov, in Portugal for Europe's largest tech conference, the Lisbon Web Summit, said Ukraine had discussed Starlink directly with Musk and was confident the Tesla and Twitter boss would not shut the service down in Ukraine. Starlink has "worked, is working and will definitely work in Ukraine", Federov, who runs Ukraine's digital transformation ministry, told a news conference in response to a question about the service from Reuters. Fedorov spoke at a joint news conference with Microsoft President Brad Smith, who announced around 100 million dollars of additional technology aid for Ukraine throughout 2023. "This will enable the government and other organisations in Ukraine to continue to run their services and serve Ukraine citizens through the Microsft Cloud and our public data centres spread across Europe," Smith said.

☆ Ukraine government is seeking alternatives to Elon Musk’s Starlink, vice PM says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Ukrainian government is looking for alternatives to Starlink, the satellite internet arm of Elon Musk's SpaceX, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Thursday. Musk's continued support for Starlink in Ukraine was called into question last month when the billionaire said his space venture could no longer fund the operation in Ukraine "indefinitely." During a press conference Thursday at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Fedorov said that he hasn't seen any issues with Musk's financing of Starlink in Ukraine continuing. "One of the reasons I came to Web Summit is to look for new partnerships and engage with new partners," he added. Last month, Musk said SpaceX couldn't continue funding Starlink terminals in Ukraine "indefinitely."

[1/2] Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, attends the opening event of Europe's largest tech conference, the Web Summit, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - In an emotional appeal, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska urged tech workers from around the world on Tuesday to create innovations to stop Russia and help save people in her war-torn country. Describing technology as a "battlefield" in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelenska said that technological equipment such as drones and missiles were being used to "kill people," not to save them. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's vice prime minister who also runs the ministry of digital transformation, will also speak. Reporting by Catarina Demony, Sergio Goncalves and Pedro Nunes in Lisbon Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine has taken delivery of its first mine-clearing machine, which was made by a British company and cost almost $500,000
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine received its first mine-clearing machine, the Armtrac 400, which was made by a UK company. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyUkraine has taken delivery of its first mine-clearing machine, which was made by a British company. Funds raised through the initiative have allowed Ukraine to buy an Armtrac 400 for the Kharkiv region, which is no longer occupied but remains contaminated with mines. Ukraine paid almost $500,000 for the Armtrac 400. UNITED24The mine-clearing vehicle was developed and manufactured by Armtrac, based near Cambridge, England.

☆ Elon Musk says SpaceX won't cut off Starlink in Ukraine even if the US government refuses to fund the internet service
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said SpaceX wouldn't stop Starlink in Ukraine even if the Pentagon declined to fund it. SpaceX asked the Pentagon to fund Starlink in Ukraine because the company said it couldn't afford it. Despite this, Musk has said SpaceX was burning around $20 million per month to keep the service running in Ukraine and Starlink was losing money. Although Musk said the costs were "unreasonable," he then backtracked on his refusal and said SpaceX would continue to fund Starlink in Ukraine. Politico reported on October 17 that the Pentagon has discussed whether to fund Starlink, according to two US officials involved with the project.

☆ Pentagon considers funding Musk's Starlink network for Ukraine - Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is considering paying for Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network in war-torn Ukraine, Politico reported on Monday, citing two U.S. officials involved in the discussions. The most likely source of funding would be the U.S. Department of Defense Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, designed to support the country as it fights Russia, the report added. loadingA Pentagon spokesman said the Defense Department would not speculate on future security assistance announcements before they occur. A separate report in the Financial Times said the European Union was also weighing funding Starlink in Ukraine, citing three officials with knowledge of the decision. "To be precise, 25,300 terminals were sent to Ukraine, but, at present, only 10,630 are paying for service," Musk tweeted on Monday.

☆ 'The hell with it...': Elon Musk seems to backtrack refusal to fund costly Starlink for Ukraine, but complains 'other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk, in a series of tweets, criticized the government and suggested SpaceX will 'keep funding' Starlink. SpaceX had penned a letter to the Pentagon asking for help paying for the satellite internet service in Ukraine, according to a CNN report. "Starlink is losing money" despite other companies "getting billions in taxpayer $," he complained. Starlink is a satellite constellation that provides internet connection to regions without stable telecommunications infrastructure, according to international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Not long after Russia invaded Ukraine, SpaceX sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Kyiv to allow Ukrainian soldiers and civilians to maintain internet connection.

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