logo
A new type of rifle bullet in Ukraine could give infantry a better way to survive unjammable drone attacks

A new type of rifle bullet in Ukraine could give infantry a better way to survive unjammable drone attacks

Anti-drone rifle bullets are emerging in the Ukraine war, potentially giving ground troops a safer option against the cheap drones that are now the battlefield's No. 1 killer.
While Russian troops were seen experimenting with such ammo since at least last year's winter, Ukraine's defense innovation program debuted its own version in late June.
Brave1 published a video of a soldier filling a cartridge with black and grey-tipped 5.56mm rounds, before loading it into a CZ Bren 2 assault rifle and firing at a drone in a test range.
"The goal is for every infantryman to carry these NATO-codified cartridges, enabling them to react quickly to aerial threats," the government organization wrote, adding that the bullets "dramatically increase the chances of downing FPV drones."
Brave1 facilitated the development of anti-drone rounds, significantly boosting chances of hitting moving aerial targets like enemy FPV drones or Mavics. The goal is for every infantryman to carry this NATO-codified cartridges, enabling them to react quickly to aerial threats. pic.twitter.com/qBz8MzlBbi
— BRAVE1 (@BRAVE1ua) June 30, 2025
Brave1 did not publish footage of the bullet's interior design.
However, United24 Media, an outlet run by the Ukrainian government, wrote that the bullets use a "custom-designed warhead that creates a dense and rapid fragmentation effect upon firing."
In short, the tech would allow soldiers to fire a bullet that travels some distance before dispersing a spread of pellets to strike a first-person-view drone or quadcopter.
That could allow infantry to start shooting at attack drones from a safer distance, compared to the last-resort measure of trying to down the threat with a shotgun, which is now the norm across Ukrainian units.
The shotgun tactic has become especially needed against the rising use of fiber-optic drones by both sides. These drones receive their signals through long, thin cables instead of radio, meaning they can't be jammed via electronic warfare.
As a result, many units carry 12-gauge shotguns with them. A new anti-drone bullet could allow infantry to simply bring extra rifle cartridges instead of a whole separate firearm.
Brave1 did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.
Russian troops are making anti-drone bullets
Notably, a similar style of bullet has appeared among Russian forces before.
In November, Russia's 74th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade published a photo of a 5.45mm bullet, which is fired by the AK rifle. It was tipped with a heat-shrinking tube.
Within the tube, the brigade wrote on its Telegram channel, there are four buckshot pellets meant to disperse and hit Ukrainian drones. It added that when handloading cartridges, troops should alternate between these new bullets and standard rounds or tracer rounds.
This design appears to be more of a DIY creation and is distinct from the version that Ukraine's Brave1 showed. It's not clear if the bullet was made widely available for Russian forces.
Z Parabellum MD, a pro-war Russian Telegram channel, published a separate video on November 29 showing several men working at a table to snap off the tips of 5.45mm rounds. In the footage, one of the men places heat-shrinking tubes on the bullet by hand.
The channel also posted a video of a Russian soldier demonstrating the rounds, shooting them at a metal sheet in a firing range.
In another example, a photo that circulated among Ukrainian channels in May showed a presentation board with an assortment of small-arms rounds used to destroy FPV drones.
One of these was a 5.45mm round tipped with a casing containing six pellets.
The growing appearance of such bullets on both sides shows how rapidly drone warfare is evolving in real time, with roughly three years of war driving a back-and-forth series of new technologies and tactics studied closely by militaries around the world.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia Drones Equipped With Chinese Technology Raise Eyebrows
Russia Drones Equipped With Chinese Technology Raise Eyebrows

Newsweek

time17 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Russia Drones Equipped With Chinese Technology Raise Eyebrows

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A drone model intended for Russia's war effort includes components from a Chinese firm, which had previously said it would not provide equipment in the war in Ukraine, it has been reported. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) agency said it had revealed a new drone that Moscow would use, which is similar to the Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone, although much smaller. It said that almost half of the components come from a single Chinese firm, CUAV Technology, which had announced in October 2022 restrictions on its products to Ukraine and Russia, curbing their military use. Newsweek has contacted CUAV Technology for comment. This image from September 19, 2024, shows Vladimir Putinand his officials at an exhibition of Orlan-10 UAV drones at the Special Technology Center in Saint Petersburg. This image from September 19, 2024, shows Vladimir Putinand his officials at an exhibition of Orlan-10 UAV drones at the Special Technology Center in Saint Petersburg. Why It Matters Russia is stepping up its drone production as it continues to bombard Ukrainian infrastructure and use the devices on the battlefield. A propaganda video showcased a drone factory near Kazan in the Tatarstan region, described as the world's biggest, amid a warning by Germany's defense ministry that Russia could launch 2,000 of the devices in a single night by November. China has always denied supplying drones or weapons components to Russia, but reports that its firms are contributing to this effort will raise questions about the effectiveness of secondary sanctions. What To Know The DIU unveiled on a war and sanctions portal, which details foreign weapons components, the inner workings of a new Russian drone that it says Moscow uses as a reconnaissance and decoy device to detect the positions of Ukrainian air defense. It said that the device model named UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) CBTS.611000 has a delta-wing fuselage similar to but smaller than the Shahed-136 (Geran-2), Iranian-designed drone, which has wreaked destruction in Ukraine. China supports russian terrorism – thus, China directly supports the fight against Europe. The new russian drone consists almost entirely of Chinese components, — GUR. The intelligence agency has published data on the drone, which the russians use as a decoy, reconnaissance… — Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) July 22, 2025 The DIU said that every component is of Chinese origin, almost half of which come from a single firm, CUAV Technology. These components include a flight controller with autopilot, navigation modules and antennas and an airspeed sensor. The drone can carry a warhead of up to 15 kilograms (35 pounds), the DIU added. DIU said in October 2022 that CUAV Technology had announced restrictions on supplying its products to Ukraine and Russia. German Major General Christian Freuding said in a podcast that China has now completely stopped exporting drone parts to Ukraine and is instead supplying Russia. Meanwhile, back in June, Oleh Alexandrov, spokesman for Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, told Politico that Chinese manufacturers would continue to supply Russia for their drone production. This would include supplying hardware, electronics, navigation, optics, and telemetry systems, motors, microcircuits, processor modules, antenna field systems, control boards, and navigation systems, he said. What People Are Saying Pro-Ukrainian X user Jürgen Nauditt posted that the DIU report shows "China supports Russian terrorism – thus, China directly supports the fight against Europe." Pro-Ukrainian BSky B user Jalenska posted: "I hope we'll condemn China with strong words and summon ambassadors." Military News UA on X: "Ukrainian intelligence has revealed that a new Russian drone, used for decoy, reconnaissance and light strikes, relies almost entirely on Chinese components." Oleh Alexandrov, spokesman for Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, told Politico in June: "Officially, China sticks to all the rules. Yet only officially." What Happens Next Reports of Chinese involvement in Russia's drones will add to scrutiny of other countries playing a role in helping Moscow's war effort. Kyrylo Budanov, head of DIU, said that Russia's ally North Korea currently supplies up to 40 percent of Moscow's ammunition.

Is RTX Stock (RTX) a Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings?
Is RTX Stock (RTX) a Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings?

Business Insider

timea day ago

  • Business Insider

Is RTX Stock (RTX) a Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings?

Aerospace and defense group Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX) is set to release its Q2 earnings report this week. This has some investors wondering whether it's a good idea to buy shares of RTX beforehand. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. What Wall Street Expects Wall Street is expecting RTX to report quarterly earnings of $1.45 per share, which would be an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $20.66 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 4.8%. Will RTX be able to beat these estimates? As can be seen below, it has a very good track record in doing just that. Key Insights Ahead of Earnings RTX reported a 5% increase in Q1 sales to $20.3 billion and a 10% rise in adjusted earnings per share. A ramp-up in defense spending following the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a big driver for its Collins Aerospace and Raytheon divisions. Governments around the world, such as European members of NATO, have laid out plans to increase investment following pressure from President Trump. The U.S. is also allocating record budgets to areas such as combat systems, cyber resilience and advanced propulsion technologies. Recently, the company was awarded a $74 million contract to produce RAM Guided Missile Launching Systems for the U.S. Navy. The company's commercial aerospace arm, including Pratt & Whitney engines, has also seen higher sales. That's down to demand from more travelers returning to the skies post-pandemic, a need to replace older aircraft and generally have a fleet with fuel-efficient and sustainable technologies. That fits well with RTX innovations such as hybrid-electric engines. Morgan Stanley recently raised the firm's price target to $165 from $135 and kept an Overweight rating. It expects industry dynamics in aerospace to remain on trend favoring stocks with a mix of aftermarket and original equipment exposure. Is RTX a Good Stock to Buy Now? On TipRanks, RTX has a Moderate Buy consensus based on 12 Buy and 6 Hold ratings. Its highest price target is $182.

Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on the deadly weapon
Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on the deadly weapon

Hamilton Spectator

timea day ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on the deadly weapon

The long-range Russian drones come in swarms each night, buzzing for hours over Ukraine by the hundreds, terrorizing the population and attacking targets from the industrial east to areas near its western border with Poland. Russia now often batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. On July 8, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record . Some experts say that number could soon top 1,000 a day. The spike comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has given Russia until early September to reach a ceasefire or face new sanctions -– a timeframe Moscow is likely to use to inflict as much damage as possible on Ukraine. Russia has sharply increased its drone output and appears to keep ramping it up. Initially importing Shahed drones from Iran early in the 3 1/2-year-old war , Russia has boosted its domestic production and upgraded the original design. The Russian Defense Ministry says it's turning its drone force into a separate military branch. It also has established a dedicated center for improving drone tactics and better training for those flying them. Fighting 'a war of drones' Russian engineers have changed the original Iranian Shahed to increase its altitude and make it harder to intercept, according to Russian military bloggers and Western analysts. Other modifications include making it more jamming-resistant and able to carry powerful thermobaric warheads . Some use artificial intelligence to operate autonomously. The original Shahed and its Russian replica — called 'Geran,' or 'geranium' — have an engine to propel it at 180 kph (just over 110 mph). A faster jet version is reportedly in the works. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noted that cooperation with China has allowed Russia to bypass Western sanctions on imports of electronics for drone production. Ukraine's military intelligence estimates that Russia receives up to 65% of components for its Geran drones from China. Beijing rejects the claims. Russia initially launched its production of the Iranian drones at factory in Alabuga, located in Tatarstan. An Associated Press investigation found employees at the Alabuga plant included young African women who said they were duped into taking jobs there. Geran production later began at a plant in Udmurtia, west of the Ural Mountains. Ukraine has launched drone attacks on both factories but failed to derail production. A report Sunday by state-run Zvezda TV described the Alabuga factory as the world's biggest attack drone plant. 'It's a war of drones. We are ready for it,' said plant director Timur Shagivaleyev, adding it produces all components, including engines and electronics, and has its own training school. The report showed hundreds of black Geran drones stacked in an assembly shop decorated with Soviet-style posters. One featured images of the father of the Soviet nuclear bomb, Igor Kurchatov, legendary Soviet space program chief, Sergei Korolyov, and dictator Josef Stalin, with the words: 'Kurchatov, Korolyov and Stalin live in your DNA.' Shifting tactics and defenses The Russian military has improved its tactics, increasingly using decoy drones named 'Gerbera' for a type of daisy. They closely resemble the attack drones and are intended to confuse Ukrainian defenses and distract attention from their more deadly twins. By using large numbers of drones in one attack, Russia seeks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and keep them from targeting more expensive cruise and ballistic missiles that Moscow often uses alongside the drones to hit targets like key infrastructure facilities, air defense batteries and air bases. Former Russian Defense Ministry press officer Mikhail Zvinchuk, who runs a popular war blog, noted the Russian military has learned to focus on a few targets to maximize the impact. The drones can roam Ukraine's skies for hours, zigzagging past defenses, he wrote. 'Our defense industries' output allows massive strikes on practically a daily basis without the need for breaks to accumulate the necessary resources,' said another military blogger, Alexander Kots. 'We no longer spread our fingers but hit with a punching fist in one spot to make sure we hit the targets.' Ukraine relies on mobile teams armed with machine guns as a low-cost response to the drones to spare the use of expensive Western-supplied air defense missiles. It also has developed interceptor drones and is working to scale up production, but the steady rise in Russian attacks is straining its defenses. How Russia affords all those drones Despite international sanctions and a growing load on its economy, Russia's military spending this year has risen 3.4% over 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which estimated it at the equivalent of about $200 billion. While budgetary pressures could increase, it said, the current spending level is manageable for the Kremlin. Over 1.5 million drones of various types were delivered to the military last year, said President Vladimir Putin. Frontelligence Insight, a Ukraine-based open-source intelligence organization, reported this month that Russia launched more than 28,000 Shahed and Geran drones since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, with 10% of the total fired last month alone. While ballistic and cruise missiles are faster and pack a bigger punch, they cost millions and are available only in limited quantities. A Geran drone costs only tens of thousands of dollars — a fraction of a ballistic missile. The drones' range of about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) allows them to bypass some defenses, and a relatively big load of 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of explosives makes them a highly effective instrument of what the Center for Strategic and International Studies calls 'a cruel attritional logic.' CSIS called them 'the most cost-effective munition in Russia's firepower strike arsenal.' 'Russia's plan is to intimidate our society,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow seeks to launch 700 to 1,000 drones a day. Over the weekend, German Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding said in an interview that Russia aims for a capability of launching 2,000 drones in one attack. Russia could make drone force its own military branch Along the more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, short-range attack drones have become prolific and transformed the fighting, quickly spotting and targeting troops and weapons within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) kill zone. Russian drone units initially were set on the initiative of midlevel commanders and often relied on equipment purchased with private donations. Once drones became available in big numbers, the military moved last fall to put those units under a single command. Putin has endorsed the Defense Ministry's proposal to make drones a separate branch of the armed forces, dubbed the Unmanned Systems Troops. Russia has increasingly focused on battlefield drones that use thin fiber optic cables, making them immune to jamming and have an extended range of 25 kilometers (over 15 miles). It also has set up Rubicon, a center to train drone operators and develop the best tactics. Such fiber optic drones used by both sides can venture deeper into rear areas, targeting supply, support and command structures that until recently were deemed safe. Michael Kofman, a military expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the Russian advancements have raised new defensive challenges for Ukraine. 'The Ukrainian military has to evolve ways of protecting the rear, entrenching at a much greater depth,' Kofman said in a recent podcast. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store