Russia

Shaheds, Lancets, fiber-optic FPVs and the counter-drone scramble — Russia’s drone war, tracked.

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Aug 10

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Ukraine

China Floods Russia With 328,000 Miles of Drone Cable While Sending Ukraine Just 72—Fueling Moscow’s Battlefield Edge

China dramatically increased exports of fiber-optic cables and lithium-ion batteries to Russia over the summer, sending 328,000 miles of cable in August while Ukraine received just 72 miles—a 456-to-1 disparity that’s helping Moscow overwhelm Ukrainian defenses with jamming-resistant drones, reports The Washington Post. The explosive growth in Chinese component exports to Russia—fiber-optic cable

Haye KestelooOct 15

Ukraine

UK Parliament Displays Captured Iranian Shahed Drone as NATO Confronts Growing Threat to European Airspace

The British Parliament hosted the first public display in Europe of a captured Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drone on Monday, showcasing the weapon system that has become Russia’s primary tool for striking Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The event at Speaker’s Court in the House of Commons drew Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and senior UK…

Haye KestelooOct 14

Ukraine

Ukrainian Drone Swarm Startup Swarmer Raises $17.9M In Record Defense Tech Funding

Ukrainian drone swarm startup Swarmer has secured $17.9 million in total funding, marking the largest publicly announced investment in a Ukrainian defense technology company since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. The company closed a $15 million Series A round in mid-September 2025, following a $2.9 million seed round in 2023, according to Euromaidan Press.…

Haye KestelooOct 13

Chinese Drone Experts Secretly Develop Military UAVs with Sanctioned Russian Arms Maker

Ukraine

South Africa Investigates How Civilian Laser Sensors Ended Up in Russian Attack Drones

South African authorities are investigating how laser range finders manufactured by Pretoria-based Lightware Optoelectronics ended up in Russian Garpiya-A1 suicide drones attacking Ukraine. The discovery adds a new dimension to the growing problem of Western and civilian components being weaponized in Russia’s drone arsenal. This marks the first time an African manufacturer has been linked…

Haye KestelooOct 12

Chinese Drone Makers Secretly Collaborate with Sanctioned Russian Arms Manufacturer

Ukraine

Russia Lured African Women to Assemble Attack Drones with False Job Promises, Investigation Finds

Russia has been accused of deceiving young African women into assembling Shahed-136 kamikaze drones through false promises of hospitality work, according to investigative reports. The women, aged 18 to 22, were recruited to work at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan—a facility repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian air strikes—where they discovered they would be building…

Haye KestelooOct 11

Netherlands

Netherlands Invests €200 Million In Joint Ukraine Drone Production As Battle-Tested Designs Go Global

Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding on October 10 to jointly produce military drones, marking another major step in Ukraine’s strategy to export its battle-proven drone manufacturing capabilities to NATO allies. The deal positions Ukraine’s defense industry as a technology provider rather than just a recipient of Western aid. The partnership combines…

Haye KestelooOct 11

Ukraine

Europe Expands Drone Wall To Cover All Borders As Von der Leyen Declares ‘Hybrid War’ With Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on October 8 that the European Union’s planned anti-drone defense system will expand to protect all EU borders with 360-degree coverage, not just the eastern flank facing Russia. Speaking before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen declared that Europe faces “a coherent and escalating campaign…

Haye KestelooOct 8

Pentagon’s AI Drone Program Faces Major Setbacks, Gets Organizational Overhaul

Ukraine

Pentagon Urged to Prioritize Affordable Counter-Drone Systems as China Ramps Up Kamikaze Arsenal

The U.S. military needs to dramatically accelerate development of cost-effective counter-drone defenses to address the rapidly growing threat of Chinese attack drones, according to a new Bloomberg Editorial Board opinion piece. The warning comes as China reportedly orders nearly one million kamikaze drones and lessons from Ukraine demonstrate how cheap, expendable drones are reshaping modern…

Haye KestelooOct 7

Russia

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