Ukraine launching faster drone supply model for military
Kyiv has ramped up domestic drone production over the past year. Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks throughout the full-scale with Russia.
According to the new model, military units will be able to choose the unmanned systems best suited to their needs. The system also aims to support manufacturers through advance orders, allowing them to plan for scaling up their production.
The model aims to boost transparency in procurement as it establishes clear supply mechanisms and stimulates competition.
The structure is based on the DOT-Chain, an IT system already used by the State Rear Operator (DOT), an agency dealing with non-lethal procurement for the military.
DOT-Chain is designed to streamline and digitize procurement processes while reducing delivery time.
"Together with manufacturers, we are working to ensure that no soldier waits for weeks or months for what they need," Umerov said after a meeting with representatives of 200 drone manufacturers.
Read also: 'We cannot survive' without foreign weapons, say Ukrainian soldiers fearing looming Trump cuts
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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Business Insider
16 hours ago
- Business Insider
BMNR: The Big Ethereum Opportunity Wall Street Can't Ignore
InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips The history of the stock market is always written by the biggest winners. They set the precedent for every newcomer looking to disrupt the old guard stocks that came before. They create the expectations that traders use to price the markets. They're the big movers of the global stock market – often more than religion or government. But history is also littered with forgotten stocks that simply couldn't compete. I should know – I've weathered some of the biggest boom-and-bust cycles in my decades as an options trader. Lessons From the Dot-Com Crash I got my start as a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in 1997. That's right when the dot-com boom was getting started. I remember that era very clearly. Names like 360Networks, and were sucking up all the oxygen in the stock market. There was a running joke on the floor: affix a '.com' to your name, launch an IPO, and watch the money flood in. For a while, the hype actually worked. These newly-IPO'd stocks were reaching sky-high valuations based on nothing more than a name and a vague idea. But then it all came crashing down like a high-wire act with no net. Market watchers were paying attention to the flashy, attention-grabbing stocks driving the internet hype bubble. Many of these companies eventually filed for bankruptcy under massive debt. Some were eventually absorbed by the competition. And some stocks even saw both outcomes. That overhyped stock eToys? It filed for bankruptcy with $247 million in debt, then got acquired by KB Toys – which also later filed for bankruptcy. As a floor trader, I could smell a rat before many of these companies went bust. They simply weren't stocks I would ever recommend trading. Many players were rightfully consigned to the dust bin of history. But some – like Amazon and eBay – emerged victorious. They managed to beat the hype cycle – and forge a path giving consumers something they didn't even know they needed yet. Those are just a couple of examples. Now I want to reach farther back to give you another one that sets the tone for the big investment idea I'm about to put on your radar today. The Power of the Pivot We all know Apple (AAPL) as one of the biggest companies on Earth. But in the late 1990s, Apple was in an iffy spot. It had gone from being one of the top computing players in the 1980s to a has-been stock with multiple failed product launches. It's easy to forget now, but Apple certainly could've gone the way of eToys and Lycos – or Commodore International and a whole slew of dead home computer companies before it. But then Steve Jobs returned to the helm. And that's when the company started looking beyond the present and asking a fundamental question: What will consumers want to buy a few years from now? They found their pivot point in products like the iPod and iPhone. And that's when Apple rapidly became one of the most valuable stocks out there – part of the same Magnificent Seven as Amazon and Tesla. A powerful pivot can make all the difference. A singular investment in a major trend right as it takes off. A key product launch that plays on something consumers don't even know they want yet. These moves can transform a single stock into a market-dominating player. And right now, we're at the start of a similar moment in the crypto space. Just like Apple and Amazon, this opportunity isn't on most trader's radars – unless you're watching this space. That's because I've been busy highlighting the massive moves stocks are making to gain ETH exposure in 2025. And I've been letting my readers in on the best way to profit from all this momentum. Not only have we already profited from ETH's huge jump over the last year… I've also been eyeing a whole pipeline of crypto opportunities that allow us to gain exposure to assets like ETH without buying it outright. You can click here to find out all about the winning strategy I've been using to capture crypto's biggest profit opportunities. And read on to find out more about the specific land grab that's happening right now – and the best way to profit from it. MicroStrategy's Big Gamble This whole story starts with yet another stock that was once left for dead. But just like Apple, an extraordinary pivot took this stock off life-support in a matter of years. MicroStrategy (MSFR) wasn't on any trader's radar back in 2020. And for a while, it seemed to be coasting much like Apple in the late 90s. It was a company working in a similar field to heavyweights like Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO). MicroStrategy's biggest offerings were enterprise software products. But they barely registered on any sales chart. The stock was going nowhere fast. So the company's executive chairman, Michael Saylor, made a bold bet: he believed Bitcoin would eventually outpace gold. And he started to believe that adding more reserves of BTC might be the perfect way to shore up the stock. That's when he started raising capital and buying Bitcoin (BTC). Lots of it. Adding those BTC reserves did more for the stock than any new product launch ever could. The markets stopped caring about their old software business. And investors began to value the stock almost entirely on their Bitcoin stash. As Bitcoin ran higher, MicroStrategy didn't just follow along – it multiplied the gains, fueled by scarcity and investor FOMO. Just take a look at the chart below. Over the last five years, the stock has gone from a measly $14 to $386. That's a 2,740% return for any investor lucky enough to gain exposure to the stock back in 2020. 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That's a double engine for market cap growth. Now, BMNR isn't just adding some ETH to shore up its reserves. It's aggressively pivoting just like MicroStrategy did. At today's ETH price (~$4,350), here's BMNR's potential trajectory over the next few years: ETH Holdings % of ETH Supply Treasury Value ($B) Implied Share Price* 1,150,0000.96%$5.00B$62.002,150,0001.79%$9.35B$115.913,150,0002.62%$13.70B$169.834,150,0003.46%$18.04B$223.745,150,0004.29%$22.39B$277.656,000,0005.00%$26.09B$323.24 *Illustrative only — in reality, accumulating this much ETH could tighten supply and push prices higher. Add those number together – and you have a few undeniable takeaways… +500,000 ETH in ~60 days is realistic given recent activity. 2 million ETH could be on the books within 6–8 months if raises continue. The 5% goal (~6 million ETH) could be within reach in 2–3 years — right as analysts expect the next ETH bull cycle. This isn't speculation. We're seeing institutional validation at the highest level. And it's all happening right as Ethereum goes mainstream … Ethereum ETFs are gaining massive momentum as the digital asset space continues its historic climb. And just like BitMine, we're also seeing more corporate treasuries rotate into ETH. They're simply positioning ahead of broader Wall Street adoption. Companies are realizing that holding ETH isn't just about crypto exposure. It's about owning a piece of the infrastructure powering the future of finance. And now this major institutional shift into ETH is setting off a whole tidal wave of opportunities for early investors. I want to give you a clear idea of just how big this opportunity is Over 6 million ETH in one treasury could influence global ETH pricing for years to come. So BMNR is in a unique position to control the pricing environment for ETH and a whole raft of other stablecoins. CPI volatility is also pushing capital into scarce assets. 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Our ETH Success Story My Advanced Notice readers already know exactly how lucrative getting in early and often can be. This week, we're celebrating a major win with our exit from iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA). Since we first entered this position, we've been riding the wave of corporate America's massive ETH buying spree. And our returns have been incredible. Look, the numbers speak for themselves. Our community members reported these huge gains over in our Discord: James banked $146k in profit Multiple traders scored triple-digit wins from 97% to 216% And many more scored consistent double and triple-digit returns across the board You can find out more about our big win and the story behind it right here. This is just the beginning of the corporate ETH revolution. BMNR's big bet isn't just about a few investors' conviction. It's a signal that the smartest money in Silicon Valley recognizes Ethereum's big moment. And just unlike all the big historical pivots I showed you at the top, we're in the early innings. As more companies remake themselves into ETH proxies, we have the intel we need to make a land grab while most investors' backs are turned. Now is the time to position yourself. Before more ETFs launch, before institutions flood in, and before ETH definitively reclaims leadership in the digital asset space. I'll give you the tools you need to spot the big bets institutional traders are placing on cryptos like ETH right now. And I'll show you exactly what it takes to trade just like the pros in mere days. Remember, the creative trader wins, Jonathan Rose Founder, Masters in Trading P.S. While everyone's watching the S&P 500 flirt with all-time highs and celebrating another stellar earnings season, the smartest money is already positioning for what's coming next. We're standing at the edge of a $20 trillion revolution that will dwarf everything we've seen so far. It's called Physical AI – and it's about to transform how robots interact with the real world. The markets are heading into completely uncharted territory as a new economic order takes shape. And my colleague Eric Fry is ready with his game plan: 7 must-buy stocks and 7 to dump immediately. His 'buy now' list features under-the-radar opportunities that could multiply your money as the world adapts to this Physical AI revolution. Eric's revealing his complete analysis in a special presentation. Click here to see everything he's uncovered.

Business Insider
20 hours ago
- Business Insider
A Ukrainian weapons maker is building a new unjammable drone with a 100-kilometer reach. It says 'the war has changed.'
A Ukrainian company is developing an unjammable fiber-optic drone that can roam nearly 100 kilometers from its operator — more than doubling the reach of current models — in a bid to radically extend the reach of one of the war's most feared weapons. The co-founder of Fold, who asked to only be identified as Volodymyr for security reasons, told Business Insider that the range upgrade is essential as Ukraine races to match a battlefield that shifts by the day and punishes anything that can't keep up. "Today, war has changed," Volodymyr said in emailed remarks. The high-value targets are farther away from the front lines than they used to be, making it imperative that drones have the reach. Fiber-optic drones are regular first-person-view (FPV) drones — small, commercially available quadcopters that can cost as little as a few hundred dollars and carry a large enough explosive payload to destroy a multimillion-dollar tank. However, instead of a radio frequency connection between the drone and its operator, fiber-optic drones are fitted with spools of long, thin cables to preserve a steady link. This makes them practically immune to electronic warfare tactics and especially dangerous in combat. For soldiers, the only real hope of stopping an unjammable drone is with a shotgun. There's a lot of luck in that kind of defense. With no reliable solutions to defend against fiber-optic drones, which can deliver precision strikes, they are emerging as a weapon of choice for Ukraine and Russia. Production is ramping up, and cables are now stretching across the battlefield, glistening in the sun like spider webs, as combat videos have shown. Fold is one of many Ukrainian companies working on fiber-optic drones for the country's armed forces. The firm started out building drones with a 5-kilometer range, but has since extended this to 15 and up to 25 kilometers — relatively standard distances. Volodymyr said this "first generation" of fiber-optic drones was more relevant last year when enemy positions were closer, sometimes even visible with the naked eye, at a distance of several kilometers. He said the front lines now look different from earlier in the conflict. Opposing troop positions have moved farther away from each other, creating a large gap — or a "gray zone" — that serves as a graveyard for tanks, armored vehicles, and soldiers. Important and expensive military equipment is harder to reach. "The flight range of 10-15 kilometers is often insufficient to destroy large enemy targets," Volodymyr said. He added that fiber-optic drones able to fly beyond 30 kilometers are more relevant at this stage in the war, and Fold is working on these kinds of drones, including some with ranges of 40 and 50 kilometers. Samuel Bendett, a drone expert and an advisor in the Russia studies program at the Center for Naval Analyses, a US research institution, told Business Insider that both Russia and Ukraine are working on 40-kilometer fiber-optic spools, noting "there is evidence at the front that such strikes are already taking place." But Fold is aiming farther than this. The company has initiated the research and development process of a second generation of fiber-optic drones, and it plans to launch drones with a range between 50 and 100 kilometers within the next few months. Bendett said "longer distances are certainly achievable," but they will depend on the skill of drone pilots and other factors. It is nearly certain, he added, that the ambitious range extensions will come with considerable technical and environmental challenges. One of the biggest vulnerabilities of fiber-optic drones is their cables, which can get easily snagged or tangled on the battlefield — either through enemy action or accident. The expanded ranges will require much longer coils than previous variants, potentially making drones more susceptible to hang-ups. An official familiar with warfighting innovations in Ukraine, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity to discuss this technology, said that longer cables raise the risk that the drone will encounter more obstacles on its path that could damage it. The longer cables needed to satisfy the expanded range also add to the drone's weight, which could force developers to reduce the size of its combat payload, ultimately making the weapon less deadly and reducing its combat effectiveness. The official said the extended-range drones will require larger frames to support the added weight. This could drive up costs and make the drones less nimble on the battlefield. Volodymyr acknowledges the challenges in fielding this kind of technology. However, there are potential engineering workarounds, and he said the extended range will not compromise the drone's resistance to electronic warfare, the priority with this tech. "That is exactly how we made it. This was the main goal of our development (or invention)," he stressed. It's unclear whether other Ukrainian companies are trying to expand the range of their drones as far as Fold hopes, but fiber-optic drone manufacturing continues to be a major focus of Kyiv's defense industry as cheap, uncrewed aerial systems prove their unrelenting dominance on the battlefield. "Conventional small arms are no longer as relevant as they were in the past," Volodymyr said. "Shooting from rifles and machine guns is often useless. The bullets simply do not reach the enemy." Fiber-optic drones "play a very important role in eliminating attacks (assaults)," he said, referring to Russian mechanized infantry and armored assaults on Ukrainian posts. "They destroy enemy armored vehicles and personnel on distant approaches — tens of kilometers from the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where small arms cannot reach."


Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
Kyivstar Hopes to Shine in New York as Ukraine Peace Talks Begin
Shares in Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar will start trading in New York today hoping that peace talks to end the devastating war in the country will significantly boost the company's value. 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. Chief executive officer Oleksandr Komarov said ahead of the Nasdaq listing that the summit between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, scheduled for August 15 th, would help drive investment into Ukraine if an end to the three-year war is found. Invest in Recovery 'We will be the best asset for the international investment community to invest in Ukraine, to invest in the Ukrainian recovery, to invest in the Ukrainian support,' Komarov said. Komarov said the company chose Nasdaq, where its Dubai-based parent VEON (VEON) is also listed, over London or Warsaw because it is even more important to 'strengthen the link between the United States and Ukraine rather than between Ukraine and Europe.' VEON shares were up 1.6% in pre-market trading. The company has also strengthened its U.S. ties during the conflict, appointing former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to its board and signing a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink for satellite services. Kyivstar, which has been given a pro forma valuation of $2.3 billion, carried out the listing by merging with fintech entrepreneur Betsy Cohen's Cohen Circle special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The company raised $178 million, confirming earlier reports that it expected up to $200 million. VEON will retain a majority stake in the mobile operator. People's IPO The company has previously stated that it has had extremely strong support for the Kyivstar listing from U.S. authorities, Ukraine and the European Union. Indeed, it has described the listing as 'the people's IPO', hoping that investors around the world would show their support for Ukraine. Kyivstar is the market-leading mobile operator in Ukraine with 24 million subscribers. Analysts agreed that the narrative around the deal was built around Ukraine's postwar reconstruction and digital infrastructure's role in that recovery. However, investors will also likely question the strength of that recovery and the likelihood of any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia holding over the long-term.