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Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ukraine gave us a new look at how first-person-view drones can attack from boats on the open sea
Ukraine's intelligence department posted footage on Tuesday of what it said were first-person-view attack drones launched by boat crews on the open sea. The Main Intelligence Directorate, or GUR, wrote in a statement on its Telegram channel that the clips were archival footage of a raid on September 11, 2024. "Thanks to this component of the operation, the GUR soldiers were able to suppress enemy fire on the Petro Godovanets gas production platform in the Black Sea," it wrote. GUR said the attack was carried out on the coast of Crimea by the Raven Group, a unit in its special forces. Business Insider could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage. The clips appear to show a nighttime attack, where at least three first-person-view, or FPV, drones take off from a boat and crash into the ocean platform. Surveillance drone footage captured flashes and explosions. "The occupiers suffered losses in personnel and equipment," GUR wrote. Based on the clips posted, the true extent of the damage is not immediately clear. GUR also posted clips of its troops traversing the open sea in lightweight combat craft, likely rigid inflatable boats such as the Zodiac. The intelligence division said the raid was Ukraine's first known instance of attacking with FPV drones via boats on the open sea. Such an operation is markedly different from how drone warfare is typically conducted at sea, which primarily emphasizes uncrewed surface vehicles — essentially boat drones designed to ram into a target with explosives. FPV drones, however, are usually remote-controlled quadcopters that require a radio or cable connection to the operator. Loitering munitions have been used in combat at sea before, such as by Yemen's Houthi rebels to attack ships on the Red Sea. However, they've typically been understood to be launched from inland locations and flown out to the coast. While GUR didn't say what equipment was used, an FPV drone operation from a boat would typically require drone pilots to bring control and navigation gear such as headsets, tablets, and GPS modules. The platform identified, Petro Godovanets, is a Black Sea drilling site that has seen back-and-forth fighting since at least 2023.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ukraine's intelligence chief says Zelensky crisis could ‘tear apart' country
Ukraine's spy chief has warned that the country could be 'torn apart' by the crisis that has erupted since Volodymyr Zelensky passed his controversial corruption reform. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said 'history has taught us that a nation loses if it is torn apart by internal contradictions'. His remarks came hours after the president stripped the country's two key anti-corruption agencies of their independence. 'Internal contradictions should be resolved through open dialogue,' Mr Budanov said as protests broke out across the cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Dnipro. 'I am sure that Ukraine will be saved by a strong army and institutions,' he added. 'We must show wisdom and responsibility.' It was not clear if the renowned 39-year-old leader of the Main Intelligence Unit (GUR) was addressing critics of the move or the presidential administration itself, which has faced a fierce backlash from civil society and Ukraine's international partners.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Russian Drone Made Completely Of Chinese Components: Ukrainian Intelligence
Russia is now using decoy drones with 100% of its components made in China, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed on Tuesday. While Russian weapons have long contained parts from China as well as many other nations, this marks likely the first time one of its drones is completely made up of Chinese parts. The discovery is additional proof of Beijing's growing support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The drone in question is a new decoy Russia is using to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, according to GUR. The delta-winged weapon loosely resembles the infamous Shahed-136 drone, but is much smaller, according to GUR. In addition to serving as a decoy, this drone may also pack a warhead weighing up to 15 kilos (about 33 pounds). As we reported yesterday, Russia is already overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses with more drones and improved tactics. 'All components and blocks [in the new drones] are of Chinese origin,' according to GUR's War&Sanctions project, which maintains a database of thousands of foreign components found in Russian weapons. ❗ GUR publishes components of a new Russian UAV used as a decoy and reconnaissance, it can also carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kg. ▪ All components and blocks are of Chinese origin. ▪ The UAV is also equipped with a Chinese copy of Australian RFD900x data transmission… — MAKS 25 ���� �� (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) July 22, 2025 GUR recovered at least two of these drones, the second of which contained two components of unknown origin. Nearly half of the parts in the first drone come from one company, CUAV Technology. Those parts include a flight controller with an autopilot, navigation modules and antennas, and an airspeed sensor with a pilot tube, GUR stated. The company is 'a National High-Tech Enterprise and Guangdong Provincial Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative Enterprise specializing in open-source unmanned systems technology,' according to the CUAV Technology Co. website. 'It integrates R&D, production, and sales.' The discovery of these CUAV Technology Co. components came even though the company announced restrictions on the supply of products to Ukraine and Russia in October 2022. The stated goal was to prevent their use for military purposes, GUR noted. 'However, in 2023, the Russian Federation presented a vertical take-off UAV of allegedly its own design, which turned out to be a CUAV Technology product available on AliExpress,' GUR added. The new Russian decoy drone is different because instead of being an off-the-shelf purchase, it represents a new method of indigenous production. The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims. We've reached out to CUAV Technology Co. and GUR for more details and will update this story with any pertinent information provided. Some of the Chinese components found in a new Russian decoy drone. (GUR) GUR's findings about the new Russian decoy drone come as Moscow is increasingly relying on Beijing to provide technology for its drones, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Last month, GUR found that a Russian V2U barrage drone used in the Sumy region could autonomously search and select targets using AI. The V2U relied on the Chinese Leetop A203 minicomputer and a central processor with an American NVIDIA Jetson Orin module. We first wrote about how AI would make drones even deadlier last year, which you can read about here. Russia is also relying on China to help extend the range of its fiber-optic controlled drones by providing spools allowing those weapons to reach as far as 50km (about 31 miles). The increased reach gives the Russians a big advantage for a system that is already creating havoc for Ukrainian forces. Fiber optics are used by both sides because it makes drones impervious to jamming and other forms of electronic warfare and helps mitigate the effects of terrain that can also interfere with radio control. Chinese working on Russian drones say they now have 50km fiber optic cables. Ukraine is fighting every enemy of western civilization while the US is increasingly on the side of the bad guys. — Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) June 5, 2025 This new decoy drone is one of many Russian weapons relying on foreign parts. However, previous recoveries by GUR show a wider range of origin for components. For instance, a Russian Shahed-136 strike drone GUR obtained contained dozens of components from the U.S. as well as parts from Iran, Taiwan and other nations. Last year, we noted that GUR found dozens of foreign components in a Russian S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) downed in a case of friendly fire. S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). Russian MOD Screenshot/via Other Russian weapons, like the Banderol S-8000 cruise missile, contain parts from Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as well as the U.S. and China, according to the GUR database. In the very early days of the all-out invasion, GUR shared with us a list of several weapons packed with foreign chips. They were found inside a recovered example of the 9S932-1, a radar-equipped air defense command post vehicle that is part of the larger Barnaul-T system, a Pantsir air defense system, a Ka-52 'Alligator' attack helicopter, and a Kh-101 (AS-23A Kodiak) cruise missile. These parts all found their way into Russian weapons despite international sanctions designed to prevent that from happening. Beyond components, China appears to have provided Russia with at least some complete weapons systems. In May, we reported that Russia was using a new Chinese laser system to shoot down Ukrainian drones. The system seen in a video posted to Telegram appeared to be at least extremely similar to a system Beijing has apparently already provided to Iran, which you can read more about here. However, it remains unclear how widely this system is being fielded by Russia. You can see images and video of those systems below. While the sensor arrangement seems to have been altered, the system observed in Russian service strongly resembles the Chinese Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser. — Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) May 31, 2025 Russia's growing reliance on China for technology comes as the two nations are drawing closer in what can be described as a relationship of convenience to challenge the U.S. and its allies. Officially, China has expressed neutrality in this conflict; however, its actions say otherwise. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union's top diplomat that Beijing can't accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine because it could allow the U.S. to turn its full attention to China, CNN reported. The network cited an official briefed on the talks. The Chinese foreign minister's admission came during what the official said was 'a four-hour meeting with EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas' in Brussels that 'featured tough but respectful exchanges, covering a broad range of issues from cyber security, rare earths to trade imbalances, Taiwan and Middle East.' The official said Wang's private remarks suggested Beijing 'might prefer a protracted war in Ukraine that keeps the United States from focusing on its rivalry with China,' CNN added. 'Wang's comments echo concerns of critics of China's policy that Beijing has geopolitically much more at stake in the Ukrainian conflict than its admitted position of neutrality.' China's assistance to Russia differs from what North Korea is providing in terms of missiles, artillery, millions of rounds of shells and more than 11,000 troops fighting against Ukraine. However, the electronics flowing from China are critical to Russia's military-industrial complex. Given that Russia has had time to shift its supply chain to Chinese sources while simultaneously spinning up its economy into a wartime configuration, it is likely we will see many more of these components installed throughout Moscow's arsenal. Contact the author: howard@
Metro
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
War planes scrambled over Nato country after Russia launches latest barage
NATO was forced to scramble war plans after Vladimir Putin launched a savage new attack on Ukraine. Russia pummelled crucial military targets and civilian areas in a five-hour missile and drone barrage. However Moscow also came under attack for the third night in a row, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy defied Trump's order not to target the Russian capital. The exchange of fire came after Russian orders instructing soldiers to behead a Ukrainian prisoner of war and stick his head on a pike were allegedly overheard by the country's security services. The Kremlin stepped up its assault on Ukraine last night, bombarding the strategic city of Pavlohrad in the worst ever attack on the region. It saw a fire station in the city was destroyed, with a five-story residential building also hit. An apartment block and a pizzeria were also up in flames after Russian drone and missile attacks on the port city of Odesa, which left one woman dead. As many as 400 drones were used in the onslaught, triggering an emergency response from NATO. Fighter jets from the alliance were scrambled from military air bases as a defensive measure. The planes were in the skies to protect Poland's border with Ukraine, which is 332 miles long, NATO said. Ukraine also responded with a drone attack on Moscow, with around fourteen drones reportedly needing to be shot down by Russian air defences. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Earlier this week, US President Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky not to strike Moscow, after giving Russia a 50-day deadline to stop the war. He was contradicting a Financial Times report, which claimed Trump privately asked Zelensky if he could use long-range missiles supplied by the US on Moscow, and escalate attacks. The exchange of fire last night followed horrific instructions allegedly overheard by Ukrainian intelligence from Russian forces. Russian soldiers were told to behead a Ukrainian prisoner of war and stick it on a pike, the secret service the GUR claimed. The instructions from Putin's 'favourite brigade' were allegedly overheard on the battlefield two days ago. The GUR said the order was issued by Russia's notorious 155th Marine Brigade, which is suspected of multiple war crimes in the conflict. The message allegedly stated: 'Cut off the head, impale it on a pike. Throw it the f*** away.' It is not possible to immediately verify the GUR claim but Putin's troops have been accused of beheadings before. Last August footage emerged of a Russian soldier brandishing what appeared to be the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier, impaled on a stake. More Trending It was thought to have been filmed near a Russian border point in Belgorod region, and was reported as a war crime to the United Nations by the Kyiv authorities. The Russian serviceman is heard saying: 'The dead men of the 155th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet salute you, Khokhols [Ukrainians].' The soldier continued: 'Today some of you have had your heads blown off by our pressure. It will be the same every time we meet. The dead have no pity. The dead men know no fear. The dead are coming for you, Khokhol.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Putin is 'a long-term threat to the freedom of Europe' MORE: Germany's 6ft 6in Chancellor towers over Keir Starmer – see how other leaders stack up MORE: Putin's soldiers 'killed by poisoned water in sabotage operation'
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kim Jong Un says he'll 'unconditionally support' Russia's war amid a report he's sending 30,000 more troops against Ukraine
Kim Jong Un is pledging to "unconditionally support" whatever Russia does to fight Ukraine. That comes after a report from early July that he wants to send 30,000 troops to Ukraine. North Korea, meanwhile, is estimated by Seoul to have supplied 12 million artillery rounds to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Sunday that he was all in on Russia's war against Ukraine. Pyongyang's foreign ministry wrote that Kim had met with Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, during which the two leaders pledged to "strengthen strategic and tactical cooperation" between their countries. Kim said he was "willing to unconditionally support all measures taken by the Russian leadership in relation to the fundamental resolution of the Ukrainian situation," the report said. It comes as CNN reported on July 2, citing a Ukrainian intelligence assessment and an unnamed Western official, that said there was information indicating that North Korea was planning to send 25,000 to 30,000 troops to Russia. Such a new tranche of fighters would more than triple North Korea's infantry presence in the war, up from its initial batch of about 11,000 soldiers who fought for Russia in Kursk. Western estimates say 6,000 of those North Korean troops were killed or wounded. The Japan Times, however, reported on Sunday that Ukraine's intelligence directorate (GUR) said it had "no information" about Pyongyang's plans to increase its troop count in Russia to 30,000. GUR's press team did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. A more likely expansion is the 6,000 extra personnel Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's security council, said North Korea had pledged to Kursk. In June, Shoigu said at least 1,000 of these people would be sappers, while another 5,000 would help with construction. Meanwhile, top Russian officials have been traveling frequently to meet with Kim. According to Russian media, Shoigu visited Kim at least three times in three months in early summer. The partnership between the two increasingly isolated nations has worried both South Korea and the West. Seoul's intelligence arm said on Sunday that it believed Pyongyang had already supplied Russia with some 12 million 152mm artillery shells, which could fill roughly 28,000 shipping containers. By comparison, the US said in March that it has sent Ukraine roughly 3 million 155mm shells since the start of the war in 2022. In return for his troops, ammunition, and weapons, Kim's government has been reported to be receiving food, cash, battlefield experience, and technological assistance for its space and arms programs. Read the original article on Business Insider
