Pentagon shot down About 100 Cartel Drones at southern Border in August using e.g. lasers

Concerning!

"... A senior Department of War (DOW) official confirmed the number to Fox News, marking the first time the Pentagon has said publicly just how often it is using anti-drone technology to knock cartel aircraft out of the sky. Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported the official’s account on X.

The tools being used include high-energy lasers. According to the official, the military coordinated every single takedown ahead of time with Mexican military and border authorities, so both sides knew what was happening along the border. ...

The tools being used include high-energy lasers. According to the official, the military coordinated every single takedown ahead of time with Mexican military and border authorities, so both sides knew what was happening along the border. ..."

DOW Official: Pentagon Zaps About 100 Cartel Drones at Border in One Month

Russia is trying to wear down Ukrainians with nearly continuous airstrikes by new, faster drones

Just how nasty is Putin the Terrible?

"The new generation of jet-powered Geran drones reaches speeds of about 300 miles an hour, roughly three times faster than previous versions of the drone, making them harder to intercept.

Russia is also shifting away from night barrages toward piecemeal attacks throughout the day. The new tactics are further disrupting life in Ukraine."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Russia Turns to New-Generation Drones and All-Day Attacks to Wear Down Ukrainians (behind paywall) "Kyiv struggles to adapt to continuous attacks using faster drones that are harder to intercept"

Taiwan’s legislature approved to spend $7 billion on drones over the next six years

If you want peace, prepare for war!

Why does the Communist Party of China not offer to introduce a multi party system, separation of power and democracy in China and then after implementation ask Taiwan for a peaceful reunification?

"... By building out a domestic military drone supply chain, the island hopes to deter an attack by China. Taiwanese military planners took inspiration from Ukraine’s success in building asymmetric warfare capabilities."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Taiwan Lines Up $7 Billion Boost for Drone Builders to Counter China (behind paywall) "Funding aims to support a homegrown industry seen as vital to island’s defense"

A Russian drone guided entirely by AI killed three civilian Ukrainians. Really!

Concerning! This could be another escalation of the drone warfare!

However, this drone was not trained to kill civilians but to destroy a gas station! Thus, the headline is junk journalism!

"The bloody war in Ukraine has helped push any hesitations around AI-enabled warfare aside. Ukrainian forces now say a Russian drone guided entirely by AI killed three of its civilians. ..."

"The young woman ran for her life, but it was too late.

A small Russian drone resembling a model airplane swooped down from the sky last month in the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. As it tried to navigate toward a gas station, it crashed into a wall and exploded in a hail of shrapnel, killing Tetiana Bubynets, 19, a university student, and two others. ...

The drone that killed them was guided by an experimental artificial intelligence system, not a human pilot, according to drone experts, Ukrainian military commanders and the forensic team that examined wreckage from the deadly strike and others in the city.

The drone was programmed by human operators to travel toward a particular gas station, but once it got close, it chose its exact target — most likely propane tanks — on its own, based on its training to recognize such tanks and strike them, the experts and military officials said. ..."

How to use AI to help (not hinder) teaching

A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I. (behind paywall)

UK-made drones strike targets inside Russia for the first ime

Putin the Terrible will not be happy! The Russo-Ukrainian War is World War III by any other name given how many countries are involved on both sides.

"... The drones, built by two separate British companies, have been used in mainland Russia in widespread and successful targeting of military and industrial targets, including refineries and warehouses of online retailer Wildberries.

The strikes, first reported by the Sunday Times, are said to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage. A well-placed military source confirmed to the BBC the UK drones had been used.

British manufactured Storm Shadow missiles had earlier been used in the conflict, although this new phase is having a far more decisive impact. ..."

UK-made drones strike targets inside Russia

Credits: Defense News

U.S. Army troops were defeated by Ukrainian drone operators at a military exercise in Germany earlier this year.

Bad news! Maybe like the knights in shining armor, the time for human army soldiers is over too in the very near future.

It is only a matter of time unitil terrorists will use drones for their attacks.

"During the exercise, Ukrainian drone units easily spotted and took down U.S. troops and armored vehicles on rotation from Fort Hood in Texas, according to people familiar with the events. The exercise, coupled with U.S. casualties in Iran, shows American vulnerabilities to uncrewed systems—years after the U.S. made them an essential part of warfare."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

U.S. and Ukrainian Forces Went Head-to-Head in an Exercise. Ukraine’s Drones Won. (behind paywall) "Battlefield drill shows Pentagon hasn’t fully absorbed lessons of Russia’s war"

US Army launches search for counter-drone missile priced under $150K. Really!

Headline of the day! What a bad joke! What do drones cost or a drone swarm?

Please go back to the drawing board and start over!

Maybe President Trump needs to fire another general!

Army launches search for counter-drone missile priced under $150K - Breaking Defense "The interceptor, dubbed the Next Generation C-sUAS Missile, must be compatible with Raytheon's Coyote launcher, per the RFI."

An armored vehicle fires a Raytheon Coyote counter-drone missile. (Raytheon)

Drohnen versus Panzer

Schlagzeile des Tages! 

Ich würde auch behaupten, dass die Tage des Panzers als Waffe ausgedient haben, wie vor Jahrhunderten die Rüstungen der Ritter!

SPRIND-Chef Rafael Laguna: Drohnen versus Panzer | FAZ (behind paywall) "Wie Innovation die wirtschaftliche Balance der Verteidigungsindustrie verschiebt – und welche Chance der Chef von Deutschlands Innovationsagentur Sprind darin sieht."

An explosive-laden drone discovered at a cargo airport in Germany spotted near an Ukrainian plane

Update of 8/7/2026: According to WSJ "An explosive-laden drone discovered at an airport in Germany this week likely belongs to the Russian government, according to U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports about the incident." (The Wall Street Journal What's news)

Serious stuff, if confirmed! World War III anyone? How many countries are now directly or indirectly involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War? Way too many!

When will the lethargic, apathetic Russian Slav(e)s/Serfs finally get rid of their last tsar, the megalomaniac, warmonger and war criminal Putin the Terrible! Before it is too late!

"Staff at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday night called in authorities after an employee spotted a drone near a cargo jet operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.

A second object collided with a cargo plane that had aborted its landing at Leipzig because of the closure, state officials said.

The interior minister didn’t name Russia, but Western security officials have said they suspect Moscow is behind many efforts to disrupt and attack European infrastructure, including aviation. Russian officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment."

According to a German news outlet (NIUS), the first drone was intercepted by an alert and bold ground bus driver with his bare hands. The Ukrainian cargo planes were transporting weapons for NATO countries.

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Der Tag beginnt mit NIUS

Israeli company Elbit eyes converting maritime vessels into drone carriers

Amazing stuff! From aircraft to drone carrier!

"Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems Ltd. ... wants to make ships into drone carriers for its Hermes 650 Spark unmanned aerial vehicles.

Elbit Systems reports that it is exploring compact unmanned aircraft launched not from a billion-dollar aircraft carrier but from converted vessels designed to carry persistent intelligence far from shore. The company says that such a vessel would be suitable, "For countries that need to monitor vast maritime spaces without building or acquiring full aircraft carrier capabilities." For such countries Elbit adds, "The question becomes straightforward: how can a naval force extend its reach without turning itself into a superpower navy?"... "

Elbit eyes converting vessels into drone carriers - Globes "The Israeli company proposes to take 9-12 Hermes 650 UAVs, and adapt existing naval platforms to operate them including the deck, control systems and mission management."

Small Deck, Long Reach (original news release) "As maritime arenas become larger, busier, and harder to secure, Elbit Systems is exploring a different kind of long reach: compact unmanned aircraft launched not from a billion-dollar aircraft carrier but from converted vessels designed to carry persistent intelligence far from shore."

How Ukraine Is Stopping 90% of Russia's Drones

Recommendable! Drone warfare up close!

(257) How Ukraine Is Stopping 90% of Russia's Drones | WSJ - YouTube

US Makes 'Microwave Cannon' That Kills 50 Drones In One Second

Recommendable!

(1304) US Makes 'Microwave Cannon' That Kills 50 Drones In One Second | Vantage on Firstpost | 4K - YouTube

Withering, Relentless Ukraine Drone Strike Campaign Hits Crimea Hard

Good news!

Any eventual peace agreement between the Ukraine and Russia must include a full and immediate return of occupied Crimea to Ukraine.

"In brief: Ukraine’s drone forces have spent the past two weeks hammering Russian logistics networks supporting occupied Crimea, targeting fuel tankers, cargo ships, ferries, power infrastructure, rail hubs, bridges, and freight traffic. The operation is aimed at isolating Crimea from mainland Russia and degrading its value as a military base. ..."

Withering, Relentless Ukraine Drone Strike Campaign Hits Crimea Hard

The Strange Defeat of Nuclear Deterrence in 2025

Food for thought! How vulnerable have nuclear weapons become in the age of drone warfare?

"In June 2025, Ukraine’s security services staged an audacious strike inside Russia. They infiltrated the country and hid short-range attack drones in cargo trucks near a slew of Russian air bases as far away as the Amur region on the border with China. Most of these bases were home to Russian strategic heavy bombers—aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Using Russia’s mobile phone network, Ukrainian operatives remotely launched the drones, successfully destroying at least ten of the bombers and damaging a total of 41 planes, including some used for nuclear command and control, according to Ukrainian assessments. ..."

The Strange Defeat of Nuclear Deterrence | Foreign Affairs "And the Coming Crisis in Strategic Stability"

EU, Ukraine sign drone deal to fast-track unmanned systems production

Good news!

"... Under the drone deal, joint ventures will be established between selected Ukrainian and European defense companies to fast-track the development and manufacturing of unmanned technologies. ...

While most of the listed companies focus on aerial drones, two in particular — Fincantieri and UForce — will leverage their expertise in naval drones and serve as systems integrators in the maritime domain. ...

In addition, the Commission has pledged to spend €1 billion ($1.14 billion) to support Kyiv’s drone capabilities as part of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan."

EU, Ukraine sign drone deal to fast-track unmanned systems production - Breaking Defense "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the country is currently producing 10 million drones per year and envisions this number rising to 20 million annually with the help of partners."

Russia's Largest Oil Refinery Stops Processing After Ukraine’s 3,000-km Strike in Omsk, Siberia

Good news! Very impressive!

"In brief: Ukraine's long-range drone strike has forced Russia's largest oil refinery in Omsk to halt crude processing, according to Reuters. The Monday shutdown affects one of Russia's key fuel producers and could worsen domestic fuel shortages. Ukrainian military officials say the refinery was the last of Russia's 11 largest gasoline producers to be targeted, while conflicting reports remain over which processing unit sustained the heaviest damage. ...

According to Reuters, the Omsk refinery processed 22 million metric tons of crude oil (about 440,000 barrels per day) in 2024 and produced approximately 5 million tons of gasoline and 8 million tons of diesel, making it one of Russia’s most important fuel production facilities. ..."

Russia's Largest Oil Refinery Stops Processing After Ukraine’s 3,000-km Strike

Polish-Ukrainian startup develops radar to track elusive, low-flying drones

Good news! No escaping!

"Polish-Ukrainian anti-drone radar company Molfar Defence said it is developing a new generation of tactical radar systems for drone types that have doggedly managed to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.

The technology aims to find small, low-altitude drones, including those connected to operators via long command wires, a setup that makes them immune to defensive electronic warfare. ..."

Polish-Ukrainian startup develops radar to track elusive, low-flying drones

Source

Ukraine: How to train thousands of drone pilots for the largest drone air force of the world?

Amazing stuff!

Ukraine Probably Has The World’s Best Drone Pilot Training, Also the Biggest "Ukraine’s “drone advantage” isn’t just airframes, it’s pilot training. Ukraine runs a massive drone program with ~80,000 personnel involved and an estimated 25-40,000 active combat UAV pilots (elite SBS: ~15k) – outnumbering many nations’ entire air forces. Training grew from 2,014 hobbyists to a nationwide network of military, private, and unit-run schools, turning novices into competent pilots in about one to two months. High quality stems from pragmatic, combat-focused methods and advanced simulators – and OJT IRL."

How the Ukraine is driving the advances in drone/robot warfare with a very young defense minister

Food for thought!

What are ABC weapons? Actually, the acronym should be now AABC weapons. Atomic, autonomous, biological and chemical weapons!

The defense minister of the Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov is only 35 years old! He promotes the "war of the machines"! The President of the Ukraine Volodymyr Selensky is a comedian, his wife Olena Zelenska is a screenwriter. What a historical meeting of the minds!

"Ukraine’s 35-year-old defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov is pushing the military to adopt AI-powered autonomous weapons as leverage to force Russia toward settlement. The tech entrepreneur, four months into the role after leading government digitization, believes warfare should be progressively offloaded to machines: “autonomous weapons are the new nuclear weapons.”

AI currently assists with drone target recognition; Fedorov envisions unmanned systems fighting entirely without soldiers in the kill zone.

His strategy—Air, Land, Economy—aims to intercept 95 percent of incoming Russian strikes, attrit Russian forces faster than they can be replaced, and cripple the Russian economy.

Traditional commanders have pushed back, questioning whether the vision disconnects from battlefield reality, though frontline brigades have largely embraced the technology.

Fedorov is also monetizing Ukraine’s war data, including over five million annotated drone videos, through Avenger Labs, licensing it to allied companies to train AI models on the condition that Ukraine receives the resulting systems. ..."

Data Points: Anthropic passes OpenAI in business adoption

Enter the Killer Robots: The Ukrainian Forging the Future of Warfare (behind paywall)

Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov (Source)

Deutsches Lasersystem schützt Ukraine vor russischen Drohnen

Gute Nachrichten! Eine neue deutsche Waffenschmiede?

Deutsches Lasersystem schützt Ukraine vor russischen Drohnen (behind paywall) "Drohnen sind oft so schnell, dass Soldaten kaum Zeit zur Abwehr bleibt. Ein Lasersystem des Start-ups Inleap Photonics aus Hannover soll bis zu 300 Angreifer pro Minute vom Himmel holen."

Source