Russia
Russia: News on Russian military drone development, deployment in conflicts, domestic UAV industry, and international tensions related to drone activities.
Belgium Mobilizes German Counter-Drone Support and Tightens Registration After Airport Shutdowns
Belgium is deploying German military counter-drone systems and strengthening drone registration enforcement after a wave of unidentified aircraft forced multiple airport closures and exposed critical gaps in European airspace security. The emergency response follows disruptions at Brussels Airport, Liège Airport,…
Polish Border Seize Drone Smuggling Cigarette Packs from Belarus
Polish border guards intercepted a drone loaded with around 400 packs of cigarettes believed to have been smuggled from Belarus, as reported by TVPWorld. The discovery was made in a wooded area near the town of Krynki, in Poland’s eastern…
Germany Approves $563M For Anti-Drone Missiles That Won’t Arrive Until 2029
Germany’s parliament has approved approximately $563 million to develop and procure MBDA’s DefendAir counter-drone interceptor missiles, funding a weapon system that won’t reach serial production until 2029—more than four years away—even as small drone threats continue to escalate across Europe.…
Russia Spends $82 Million On 18,000 Combat Drones To Train Teenagers For War
Russia has purchased 18,000 drones for 500 schools at a cost of 8.38 billion rubles ($82 million USD) in 2024 as part of a program training teenagers to operate unmanned aerial vehicles for combat, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports. The…
Poland Won’t Wait for EU’s Stalled Drone Wall, Launches Independent Counter-Drone System After Russian Incursions
Poland plans to build a national anti-drone defense system within months without waiting for the European Union’s stalled “drone wall” initiative, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced in a Bloomberg interview today. The decision comes after 19 Russian drones violated…
Ukraine’s Viral ‘Call Of Duty’ Drone System Awards Points For Russian Targets
Ukraine’s military has transformed drone warfare into a competitive video game where verified kills earn points redeemable for advanced weapons, resulting in 18,000 Russian casualties in September alone. The gamified “Army of Drones Bonus System” has gone viral among Ukrainian…
Belgium Authorizes Military To Shoot Down Drones After Three Nights Of Suspected Espionage At Nuclear Weapons Base
Belgium’s chief of defence has authorized military personnel to shoot down unauthorized drones flying over the country’s military bases following three consecutive nights of suspected espionage operations at Kleine-Brogel Air Base, which houses U.S. nuclear weapons and F-16 fighter jets.…
Germany Awards $950M Drone Contract Despite Disastrous Test Results
Germany plans to award contracts worth up to €900 million ($950 million USD) for kamikaze drones to two defense start-ups and an established contractor, even as one company’s systems failed spectacularly during recent military trials. The Financial Times reports that…
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…
Brazen Drone Incursion Over US Nuke Base: Has NATO Already Lost the Drone War?
Three large drones conducted targeted surveillance over Belgium’s Kleine Brogel airbase—which stores US nuclear weapons—on the night of November 1-2, 2025, evading Belgian military jammers and police helicopter pursuit in what Defense Minister Theo Francken called “a clear command targeting…
How Did a U.S. Soldier Command a Black Hawk Helicopter Using Only a Tablet?
On Friday, October 31st, Lockheed Martin confirmed that a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army National Guard recently planned and executed autonomous missions with an Optionally Piloted (OPV) S-70 Black Hawk using only a handheld tablet. The exercise ran…
North Carolina’s ‘Drone Audition’ Model Shows How Pentagon Plans To Accelerate Military Innovation Beyond Failed Replicator Program
Based on reporting by Dan Barkin for Business North Carolina A first-of-its-kind drone competition in rural North Carolina is quietly prototyping how America might finally close its innovation gap with Ukraine’s battlefield laboratories—by letting military commanders “audition” new systems at…