DEALS

Russia

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

728
Articles
61
Beats covered
7
Reporters on beat
Sep 28
Last updated
Sort
Norway Deploys First Operational NATO Drone Swarm As Europe Races To Match Ukraine’s Battlefield Innovation
Ukraine

EU’s Drone Defense Plan Sidelines Ukraine’s Proven Manufacturing Edge, Analyst Warns

The European Union’s ambitious drone defense roadmap is taking the wrong approach by limiting cooperation to EU-only initiatives rather than leveraging NATO structures and Ukraine’s battle-tested manufacturing capabilities, according to a Reuters Breakingviews analysis published today. Pierre Briancon, a Reuters Breakingviews columnist covering European business and economics, argues that Brussels

Peter Thiel-Backed Stark Defence Fails All Four Strikes In Military Trials, Exposing Silicon Valley’s Defense Tech Reality Check
Anduril

Peter Thiel-Backed Stark Defence Fails All Four Strikes In Military Trials, Exposing Silicon Valley’s Defense Tech Reality Check

A German defense drone startup valued at $500 million suffered a catastrophic public failure during October 2025 military trials when its AI-powered strike drones missed all targets across four separate attempts, raising serious questions about whether venture capital can replicate battlefield-proven innovation. Stark Defence’s Virtus loitering munitions—marketed as autonomous strike drones capabl

North Korean Hackers Target European Drone Makers in Sophisticated Espionage Campaign
North Korea

North Korean Hackers Target European Drone Makers in Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

North Korean state-sponsored hackers are actively targeting European defense contractors in a cyberespionage campaign designed to steal drone manufacturing secrets, security researchers revealed this week. The attacks, linked to the notorious Lazarus Group, focus specifically on companies developing unmanned aerial vehicle technology that’s currently being deployed in Ukraine. ESET researchers dis

Russia Deploys Ring-Wing “Kometa” Drones Over Ukraine As Experimental Design Triples Range
Ukraine

Russia Deploys Ring-Wing “Kometa” Drones Over Ukraine As Experimental Design Triples Range

Ukrainian forces have spotted unusual Russian drones with circular ring-wing designs operating over front lines, marking the first combat deployment of an experimental aerodynamic configuration that could extend strike range by up to three times compared to conventional quadcopters. The Kometa drones, manufactured by Russian company Shag Vpered, represent Moscow’s latest attempt to gain tactical…

From Film Casting To Billion-Dollar Defense: Ukraine’s Fire Point Faces Corruption Probe As Drone Industry Matures
Ukraine

From Film Casting To Billion-Dollar Defense: Ukraine’s Fire Point Faces Corruption Probe As Drone Industry Matures

Three years ago, Fire Point was scouting locations for Ukrainian film productions. Today, it’s a $1 billion defense contractor producing long-range strike drones and cruise missiles that are pounding Russian infrastructure. But the company’s meteoric rise has triggered a corruption investigation examining inflated pricing, quality concerns, and alleged ties to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former

Ukraine Emerges as NATO’s Drone Warfare Teacher as Europe Rushes to Learn Battle-Tested Tactics
Bell

Ukraine’s AI Drone Revolution Hits Hardware Reality: Full Autonomy Remains Years Away Despite Battlefield Success

Ukraine’s rapid advances in AI-powered drone warfare are running into a fundamental obstacle that no amount of software innovation can overcome: the physical limits of what computing power a small drone can carry into battle. A comprehensive investigation by the Kyiv Independent reveals that despite deploying thousands of AI-enabled systems and achieving dramatic improvements in…

ukraine drone drones ai kit skynode - 100 Switchblades to Ukraine in March 2022
Aerovironment

Why Are $400 Ukrainian Drones Beating $100,000 American Switchblades?

Western military drones like the American Switchblade have proven too expensive and ineffective for Ukraine’s high-intensity battlefield, forcing a strategic shift to mass-produced FPV drones that cost a fraction of the price. The Economist reports that sophisticated Western systems costing tens of thousands of dollars are being outperformed by Ukrainian-made drones assembled for as little…

— The DroneXL Briefing · Free

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.

One email with the drone news that matters — DJI, FAA, public safety, and everything in between, straight from the newsroom. No spam, no fluff.

8,400+
Articles published
340+
Beats & desks
2020
Covering drones since
100%
Independent