Ukraine Prepares up to $30 Billion Drone Sale to US, Zelenskyy Says
The deal would capitalize on Ukraine's drone technology, developed and tested on the battlefield amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Ukraine is drafting a contract for the sale of $10 billion to $30 billion worth of drones to the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Speaking to reporters on July 24, Zelenskyy said the deal stems from preliminary agreements made with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
25 minutes ago
- Forbes
Russia Is Developing A New Soldier-Worn Counter-Drone Jammer
Social Media Capture The current phase of the Russia-Ukraine war has been marked by the growing dominance of drones on the battlefield. Earlier in the war, drone strikes were primarily aimed at armored vehicles and other equipment. However, they are now increasingly being used to target individual soldiers. Both sides are rapidly developing new counter-drone solutions that can protect their soldiers, with Ukraine recently introducing counter-drone rifle rounds. Russia is similarly developing counter-drone solutions that can be deployed at the individual soldier level. A recent Russian video posted to social media demonstrates a new soldier-worn electronic warfare system that jams the video feed from small drones. The New Russian Counter-Drone System The video shows a Russian soldier demonstrating the compact drone detection and jamming system. The system includes a head-mounted module with two antennas, a switching harness, an arm-mounted display, and a battery pack. The head-mounted module is attached to the back of the helmet with two antennas protruding from the top. The system detects the drone through its radio signature and then appears to intercept the drone's video feed, which is displayed on the arm-mounted screen. The soldier can then choose to jam the feed, which he does in the demonstration. Social Media Capture This design is unique because most counter-drone systems do not target the video transmissions. Conventional jammers usually focus on control and navigation links, which are easier to disrupt. Radio signals weaken as they travel, so the strength at the receiver is only a fraction of the original transmission. This makes it relatively straightforward to jam a control channel by broadcasting a stronger signal near the receiving end. In contrast, the video feed is transmitted from the drone at high power to ensure that the signal is strong enough to reach the operator, making it far more difficult to overpower with conventional jamming techniques. Russia's approach suggests a focus on precision and efficiency rather than brute-force interference. Instead of flooding multiple frequencies with broadband noise, which requires considerable power and risks interfering with friendly communications, the system uses a more targeted method. Drawing on Russia's long-standing expertise in electronic warfare, it detects the drone passively by sensing its radio emissions, identifies the exact frequency of the video link, and then applies a focused jamming signal. This reduces the power consumption and the size of the system. It also minimizes the system's electromagnetic signature, making it harder for the Ukrainians to detect and target. This design choice is likely influenced by the fact that newer Ukrainian drones incorporate failsafe modes that activate when control or navigation signals are jammed. By blinding the operator through video disruption while leaving control links intact, the system avoids triggering these failsafe modes and creates confusion for the operator. Regardless, this approach has significant limitations. In particular, it does protect Russian soldiers from the increasingly common fiber-optic drones which transmit their video feeds via a tether. Additionally, the system will require frequent updates as Ukrainian drones move to more secure video channels and implement failsafe modes for when the video feed is jammed. Implications Of This New Counter-Drone Jammer On the Broader War Both Russia and Ukraine are racing to counter the growing drone threat, as drones have become responsible for the bulk of the casualties and destruction on the battlefield. This trend is accelerating as the war becomes increasingly dismounted, with units fighting in dense urban environments. In this setting, drones have become fully integrated into offensive and defensive tactics, with both sides using them to locate and target enemy troops. Social Media Capture This reliance on drones has created a stalemate along the front. Any assaulting force is quickly detected and struck by enemy drones, preventing large-scale offensive operations. Therefore, whichever side can better shield its soldiers from drone attacks will gain a clear advantage in cities such as Chasiv Yar and in towns near Kupyansk, Kharkiv City, and Sumy City. If this Russian technology proves effective and can neutralize Ukrainian drones, even for a short period, it could enable substantial gains in these areas, with major implications across the entire front. More broadly, as drone technology has shifted from large strategic platforms to small, agile FPV drones, counter-drone systems are having to evolved as well. Older vehicle-mounted systems were built to defend large areas against long-range strikes. Now, both sides are developing and fielding compact systems designed to protect individual soldiers. If Russia succeeds in deploying this new soldier-worn counter-drone jammer, it could secure a critical edge on the battlefield.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Major cyber attack closes hundreds of pharmacies across Russia
Hundreds of pharmacies have been forced to close across Russia due to a major cyberattack. The Stolichki pharmacy chain, which has around 900 stores across the Moscow region, closed on late Tuesday morning, followed by Neofarm, which also has stores in the Russian capital. It has left thousands of customers unable to access medication. It is unclear when the chains are expected to reopen. It comes a day after Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot was rocked by a major attack, leading to dozens of flight cancellations and delays on Monday and again this morning. The Silent Crow and Cyber Partisans hacker group, which support Ukraine, claim to have been lurking in Aeroflot's systems for a year and have now carried out a 'large-scale operation' that led to the 'complete compromise and destruction' of Aeroflot's internal IT infrastructure. In a rare admission of vulnerability, the Kremlin said reports of a cyberattack against Aeroflot were 'worrying'. The second day of cyberattacks came hours after Ukraine was rocked by a series of overnight Russian attacks, which killed 27 people. Four powerful Russian glide bombs hit a prison in Zaporizhzhia, authorities said. They killed at least 16 inmates and wounded more than 90 others, Ukraine's Justice Ministry said. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old pregnant woman was among those killed in a strike on a maternity hospital in the central region of Dnipro. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the strikes were 'deliberate', highlighting that they came just hours after Donald Trump reduced the deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire. 'These were conscious, deliberate strikes — not accidental,' he said on Telegram. The Kremlin pushed back, with a top Putin mouthpiece warning the US president against 'playing the ultimatum game with Russia.' 'Russia isn't Israel or even Iran,' former president Dmitry Medvedev, who is deputy head of the country's Security Council, said in response to Mr Trump's threats. 'Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,' he added. 01:57 PM BST Thanks for following our live coverage Thanks for following our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. It has now ended. Here's a summary of today's events: Russian strikes killed at least 27 people and injured 80 more overnight Strikes targeted a prison in Zaporizhzhia and a maternity hospital in Dnipro, where a 23-year-old pregnant woman was killed The strikes came hours after Donald Trump issued a new deadline of 'about 10 or 20 days' to end the conflict or face tough sanctions The UK condemned Russia's overnight attacks, claiming it is 'not serious' about peace Hundreds of pharmacies across Russia - primarily in Moscow - are closed due to a cyberattack The Kremlin insisted it remains 'committed' to peace in Ukraine hours after it killed dozens of people in overnight strikes We'll be back soon with more updates and analysis. 01:52 PM BST Pictured: Injured prisoner after Russian drone strike 01:35 PM BST US 'likely moved nuclear weapons to UK' amid Russian threats The US likely stationed some of its nuclear weapons arsenal in the UK for the first time since 2008 amid Russian threats, according to reports. On July 16, a US military aircraft flew from a US nuclear weapons depot at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico to an airbase in in Lakenheath, England, according to open-source data. The C-17 transport aircraft flew with its transponder on -- making its location publicly visible - and involved the US Air Force's Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, Bloomberg reported. The weapons deliveries likely comprise of the B61-12 thermonuclear bombs, a newer tactical nuclear weapon first developed during the Cold War, the outlet reported, citing defence analysts. 01:02 PM BST Unidentified drone crashes in Minsk An unidentified drone flying over the Belarusian capital of Minsk was downed by the military overnight, its defence ministry said. The drone crashed into an apartment building and hit a parked car, according to local media. No injuries were reported. The defence ministry said air defence forces detected the unmanned aerial vehicle around 2am local time and intercepted it using electronic warfare systems. Investigators claim it was carrying a warhead filled with explosive material. 12:18 PM BST UK condemns Russia's overnight attacks The UK has condemned Russia's overnight attacks, claiming it is 'not serious' about peace. 'Russia is terrorising Ukrainian civilians,' the UK embassy in Kyiv said in a post on X. 'Last night glide bombs hit a detention facility, killing at least 16 and injuring 35. 'A maternity hospital was damaged, and 2 people died. 'The Kremlin is not serious about peace. The UK will continue to ramp up the pressure on Russia.' 11:54 AM BST Hundreds of Russian pharmacies hit by cyberattack Hundreds of pharmacies across Russia - primarily in Moscow - are closed due to a cyberattack, according to reports. The Stolichki pharmacy chain, which has around 900 stores across the Moscow region, has been forced to close. Accounting systems are not working, with employees sent home as a result. It comes a day after Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot was rocked by a major attack, leading to dozens of flight cancellations and delays. 11:17 AM BST Strip young Ukrainian men of benefits, says German politician Ukrainian men of fighting age should be stripped of social benefits in Germany, the right-wing CSU party - the sister party of Merz's CDU - has said. Stephan Mayer, the CSU's foreign policy spokesman, said it did not make sense that Ukrainian who should be serving in their army were on benefits in Germany. 'The citizen's allowance for male Ukrainians of military age must finally be ended . If almost 151,000 Ukrainians between the ages of 18 and 63 are receiving social benefits from us, then something is wrong,' he said. 'This group of people is not entitled to this social benefit and must either work here in Germany or perform military service in Ukraine.' 10:53 AM BST Kremlin insists it remains 'committed' to peace The Kremlin has insisted it remains 'committed' to peace in Ukraine hours after it killed 22 people in overnight strikes. A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin also said it had 'taken note' of Donald Trump's threat to impose heavy sanctions on Russia in '10 or 12 days' if he does agree to peace. Moscow added that there had been a 'slowdown' in an attempt to restore relations the US against the backdrop of Mr Trump's repeated threats. 'There is indeed a slowdown,' Dmitry Peskov told reporters answering a question about Moscow's ties with Washington, adding: 'We would like to see more dynamics. We are interested in this. In order to move forward, we need impulses from both sides'. 10:48 AM BST Trump opens golf course in Scotland Donald Trump is speaking at the opening of a new golf course in Scotland. Yesterday he revealed at Trump Turnberry that he was reducing his deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree to peace in Ukraine. We're not sure if he's going to address the war in Ukraine this morning but you can follow live coverage here. 10:46 AM BST Russian shelling kills five in Kharkiv Russian shelling of Ukraine's north-east Kharkiv region killed five people and wounded three, local police said this morning. 'According to preliminary data, five civilians were killed and three more were wounded to varying degrees as a result of the shelling,' the police said on Telegram, adding that Russia struck the area 'presumably with a multiple launch rocket system'. 10:39 AM BST Russia's Aeroflot cancels more flights after cyberattack Russian airline Aeroflot cancelled dozens more flights today after it was rocked by a major cyberattack. Two pro-Ukraine hacking groups claimed on Monday to have carried out a year-long operation to penetrate Aeroflot's network. They said they had crippled 7,000 servers, extracted data on passengers and employees and gained control over the personal computers of staff, including senior managers. The Interfax news agency said Aeroflot had cancelled 59 round-trip flights from Moscow on Monday out of a planned 260. It said that a further 22 flights out of Moscow and 31 into the capital were cancelled today so far. 10:09 AM BST German politician secretly fights for Ukraine A 22-year-old member of Germany's hard-right AfD revealed he has been secretly fighting for Ukraine, meaning he could be expelled from the party. Tim Schramm, deputy chairman of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) district association in Wuppertal, first arrived in Ukraine in 2022, delivering aid, Die Welt reported. By 2024, he had joined the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces (TDF) and served on the eastern front, taking part in combat operations against Russian troops. Speaking to he described Russia as an 'authoritarian country permeated with propaganda'. 'The Ukrainian fight is also a German one,' he said. 09:47 AM BST Pictured: Aftermath of overnight attacks 09:18 AM BST Russian strike on Ukraine prison was 'deliberate', says Zelensky Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a Russian airstrike on a prison in Ukraine was 'not accidental' and that Russia 'must be compelled to stop the killing and make peace.' 'It was a deliberate strike, intentional, not accidental. The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility,' the Ukrainian president said in a statement on social media. 09:04 AM BST Zelensky: Russia deserves 'very harsh' sanctions after attacks Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia deserves 'very harsh, painful' sanctions after overnight attacks killed at least 22 people, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman. 'Every killing of our people by the Russians, every Russian strike – at a time when a ceasefire could have long been in place, if not for Russia's refusal – all of this shows that Moscow deserves very harsh, truly painful, and therefore just and effective sanctions pressure,' the Ukrainian president said. 'They must be compelled to stop the killing and make peace.' 08:32 AM BST Opinion: Vladimir Putin has finally run out of time President Donald Trump has issued a new ultimatum to Russia. A bold move, but is Putin likely to accede to Trump's demands? Russia's most recent conduct suggests no. Hours before Trump's statement, Russia launched a drone and missile barrage against Ukraine that forced Poland to scramble fighter jets over its airspace. Russian official rhetoric has been equally bellicose. In response to Trump's statement, former president Dmitry Medvedev warned that the US was taking a step towards war with Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that 'Russia is fighting alone against the entire West'. But Putin's determination to call Trump's bluff is a dangerous miscalculation. He appears to have predicted that Trump would withdraw military support for Ukraine upon taking office and hand Russia a blank cheque for further aggression, but these assumptions were mistaken. Trump has now earmarked Russia as the sole obstruction to peace in Ukraine and is devising a robust deterrence policy. 08:07 AM BST Pictured: Ukrainian troops defend Dnipropetrovsk Ukrainian troops have been defending Dnipropetrovsk, which has come under an increasing number of attacks by Russian forces. Over the weekend, the Russian army said its forces had 'liberated' the village of Maliyevka, weeks after it seized the first settlement in the region. The region was not one of the five illegally annexed by Vladimir Putin in 2022 but the Russian president has threatened to take further territory from Ukraine if it does not agree to give up territory. 07:46 AM BST Ukrainian drones strike Russian train station Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on a train station in Russia's Rostov overnight, local officials have said. Videos shared online show a large blaze burning at a railway station, sparking travel chaos in the region. Located near the Azov Sea and bordering Ukraine, Rostov plays a key logistical role in Russia's war effort due to its proximity to the front line. Credit: @JayinKyiv / X 07:32 AM BST Kyiv accuses Russia of war crimes in overnight strikes A senior Ukrainian official has accused Russia of committing a war crime by striking a prison in Zaporizhzhia. Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, said: 'Russia has struck a correctional facility in the Zaporizhzhia region. Sixteen people are confirmed dead, and 35 injured. Nearby residential buildings have been destroyed. 'This is yet another war crime committed by the Russians — and they won't stop unless they are stopped.' 07:20 AM BST Ukraine reacts to Trump deadline Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, hailed Mr Trump's 'clear stance' towards Putin that came 'right on time, when a lot can change through strength for real peace'. 'Today, there was an extremely significant statement by President Trump. And it is true: it is Russia who is doing everything to undermine peace efforts and drag out the war,' the Ukrainian president said in his evening address. 'Every night there are strikes, constant Russian attempts to hurt Ukraine. Indeed, peace is possible if we act strongly and decisively, and we have repeatedly said—and all partners know this—that sanctions are a key element.' 07:06 AM BST As it happened: Trump shortens Putin deadline for ceasefire Donald Trump gave Vladimir Putin less than two weeks to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face heavy sanctions. Speaking to reporters yesterday alongside Sir Keir Starmer at his Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, the US president said he was 'very disappointed' with Putin over continued strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets. He announced he would be reducing an earlier 50-day deadline to end the war in 'about 10 or 12 days', starting immediately, because did not see 'any progress' being made towards a ceasefire. Mr Trump had threatened earlier this month to impose 'very severe' tariffs on countries that trade with Russia if it did not agree to a ceasefire by Sept 5. 'We thought we had that [ceasefire] settled numerous times, and then president Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,' he said. 'You have bodies lying all over the street, and I say that's not the way to do it. So we'll see what happens with that.' 07:01 AM BST 20 killed across Ukraine At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, regional officials said this morning. Russia carried out eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region, hitting a prison, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the military administration. '16 people were killed, 35 were wounded,' he said on Telegram, adding that the premises were destroyed and that nearby houses were damaged. People were also killed and more wounded in attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional government officials. A missile strike on the city of Kamyanske killed two people, wounded five and damaged a hospital, Sergiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration said on Telegram. Another person was killed and several wounded in an attack on the region's Synelnykivsky district, he said. In a separate attack on Velykomykhaylivska, Monday night, a '75-year-old woman was killed. A 68-year-old man was wounded. A private house was damaged,' he posted on Telegram. 07:00 AM BST Welcome to our live coverage Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. We'll bring you the latest news and analysis throughout the day. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
News24
40 minutes ago
- News24
Russia kills 20 in Ukraine, destroys 74 drones in fresh advance
At least 20 people were killed Russia strikes on Ukraine. Russia destroyed 74 Ukrainian drones. A stationary freight train caught fire in Russia. At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, regional officials said on Tuesday. Russia carried out eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region, hitting a prison, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the military administration. '16 people were killed, 35 were wounded,' he said on Telegram, adding that the premises were destroyed and that nearby houses were damaged. People were also killed and more wounded in attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional government officials. A missile strike on the city of Kamyanske killed two people, wounded five and damaged a hospital, Sergiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration said on Telegram. Another person was killed and several wounded in an attack on the region's Synelnykivsky district, he said. In a separate attack on Velykomykhaylivska, on Monday night, a '75-year-old woman was killed. A 68-year-old man was wounded. A private house was damaged,' he posted on Telegram. In southern Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person, the region's acting governor said on Tuesday. 'A car was damaged on Ostrovsky Street. Unfortunately, the driver who was in it died,' Yuri Slyusar, acting governor of the Rostov region, said in a post on Telegram. Kyiv has been trying to repel Russia's summer offensive, which has made fresh advances into areas largely spared since the start of the offensive in 2022. Over the weekend, the Russian army said its forces had 'liberated the settlement of Maliyevka' in Dnipropetrovsk, weeks after it seized the first village in the region. US President Donald Trump on Monday issued Moscow a deadline of 'about 10 or 12 days' to end the conflict in Ukraine, or face tough sanctions. Reuters reported that multiple Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia's southern Rostov region have left one person dead, sparked a fire and suspended train traffic at a railway station, Russian authorities said on Tuesday. Russia's defence ministry, which reports only how many drones were destroyed, not how many Ukraine launched, said its defence units downed a total of 74 drones overnight, including 22 over the Rostov region. A stationary freight train caught fire and power was disrupted at the train station in Salsk, forcing the suspension of train traffic, Russia's Railways said on Telegram. Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has often said that its attacks inside Russia are in response to Moscow's relentless strikes on Ukraine.
