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The Citizen
04-08-2025
- General
- The Citizen
24 hours in pictures, 4 August 2025
24 hours in pictures, 4 August 2025 Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world. A woman carrying a child walks at a memorial for fallen soldiers in Kyiv on August 4, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) Ukrainian farmers work in a field in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, 03 August 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. Picture: EPA/MAXYM MARUSENKO An artwork by Canadian artist, activist, and photographer Benjamin Von Wong entitled 'The Thinker's Burden' a 6-meter-tall sculptural remix of Rodin's iconic Thinker, which is being created for the Plastics Treaty negotiations is seen in front of the United Nations Offices in Geneva on August 4, 2025. Negotiators will take another stab at reaching a global pact on plastic pollution at talks opens from August 5 to 14, 2025 in Geneva but they face deep divisions over how to tackle the health and ecological hazard. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) White storks sit in their nest in Stubno village, south-eastern Poland, 04 August 2025. Picture: EPA/DAREK DELMANOWICZ An Israeli border guard looks through the scope of his rifle during the demolition of a building in the village of Judeira, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on August 4, 2025, built without permit in the so-called Area C designated by the 1995 Oslo Accords: occupied Palestinian territory which remains under full Israeli control. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP) A devotee takes a holy dip in the Bagmati River before offering prayers to the Hindu god Shiva at the Pashupatinath Temple during Shravan festivities on the outskirts of Kathmandu on August 4, 2025. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) A burst water pipe at the corner of Milner Avenue in Montgomery Park in Johannesburg, 4 August 2025. According to the local councillor this is the fourth time the pipe has burst in a year. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen A man wades through floodwaters inside his partially submerged house after heavy monsoon rains induced a rise in water level of river Ganges in Varanasi on August 4, 2025. (Photo by Niharika KULKARNI / AFP) England's Chris Woakes reacts on the fifth and final day of the fifth Test cricket match between England and India at The Oval in London on August 4, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) A cosplayer is seen during the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference known as ChinaJoy, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Shanghai on August 4, 2025. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) Humanoid robots vie for the ball during an exhibition football match ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 4, 2025. Beijing will host the World Humanoid Robot Games from August 15 to 17. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP) MORE: 48 hours in pictures, 3 August 2025
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
A 'Drone Wall' Is Coming to NATO's Eastern Border
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 sweeping new defense initiative is underway along NATO's eastern border as the alliance ramps up surveillance and deterrence capabilities in response to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. The project, nicknamed the "Drone Wall," envisions a continuous layer of unmanned aerial systems stretching from Norway to Poland, leveraging cutting-edge technology to defend against incursions and unconventional warfare tactics. Why It Matters The Drone Wall is designed to serve as a permanent early warning and reconnaissance network along NATO's eastern flank, particularly in vulnerable areas bordering Russia. It stands as both a literal and symbolic effort to reinforce Europe's defenses, assert regional control over surveillance technologies and counter the kind of gray-zone conflicts that have marked Russia's recent strategies in Ukraine and elsewhere. The initiative also reflects a growing shift in European defense strategy toward self-reliance. This pivot comes at a time when the United States' commitment to NATO appears less certain, especially following the return of President Donald Trump, who has pressured European members to increase their defense spending. What to Know The ambitious plan, spearheaded by Germany and joined by six NATO nations, marks one of the most expansive deployments of autonomous surveillance and counter-drone systems in recent history. Leaders describe it as both a strategic deterrent and a response to the rapidly evolving nature of modern warfare. "By integrating cutting-edge technology, common defense measures, and rapid innovation, we can create an effective multilayered solution that helps ensure Europe's resilience against external threats and aggressors," Defence Estonia, a consortium of security companies, said in a statement reported by Trade with Estonia. The proposed drone network is not metaphorical. It's a literal "wall" of AI-powered reconnaissance drones, supported by a mesh of sensors, satellite surveillance and mobile countermeasure platforms designed to detect and disrupt potential threats. This picture taken early morning on May 9, 2023, in Kyiv, shows a smog of explosion after Ukrainian air defence downed missile, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This picture taken early morning on May 9, 2023, in Kyiv, shows a smog of explosion after Ukrainian air defence downed missile, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images Germany's incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has prioritized rearming his country in light of what he called "the threat from Russia," passing sweeping reforms to permit unlimited defense spending. According to The Telegraph, Merz's government is expected to back German industrial partners like Quantum Systems, which is already producing hundreds of drones monthly. "With the right political coordination, a first operational layer—using existing, proven technology—could be deployed within a year," said Martin Karkour, chief sales officer at Quantum Systems, a leading German drone manufacturer. "The technology is ready. What is still needed is a strategy at the EU or NATO level." Karkour emphasized the need for European-produced systems to ensure strategic autonomy, especially amid concerns about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees. "European-made systems ensure strategic autonomy and keep sensitive data under European control," he said. Collaboration Across Borders The Baltic segment of the Drone Wall initiative includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland. Estonian defense leaders introduced the concept through the Estonian Defense Industry Cluster, which is coordinating contributions from local tech firms. Among them is DefSecIntel Solutions, whose multi-layered drone countermeasure system, Erishield, integrates AI, sensors and mobile drone countermeasures into a unified control hub. "This is a completely new thing. A drone border from Norway to Poland," Lithuania's Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė told Baltic News Service, according to C-UAS Hub. "This will allow us to protect ourselves from provocations by unfriendly countries." DefSecIntel has developed a multi-layered drone countermeasure system Eirshield, into which they have integrated innovative solutions from both Estonian and international partners. DefSecIntel has developed a multi-layered drone countermeasure system Eirshield, into which they have integrated innovative solutions from both Estonian and international partners. DefSecIntel Estonian firm Rantelon, along with partners Marduk Technologies, Hevi Optronics and others, is also contributing to the initiative, with government funding of 12 million euros allocated over three years for the project. The goal is to establish real-time operational awareness of the border, including capabilities to detect GPS jamming and drones used for smuggling or hybrid warfare. Estonia's defense community sees the project as a symbol of industrial capability and regional solidarity. "The war in Ukraine has shown that both defensive and civilian drones have become central weapons in attacks and the destruction of critical infrastructure," the group noted. What People Are Saying Defence Estonia, the umbrella organization of defense industry companies in the Baltic country, in a press statement: "The Drone Wall will demonstrate the ability of local industry to contribute to ensuring the security of Estonia and the surrounding region." Gundbert Scherf, CEO of Helsing, a German AI defense firm, told Deutschlandfunk: "If we deploy there in large numbers, rely on asymmetric capabilities and concentrate tens of thousands of combat drones there, then it will be a very credible conventional deterrent." What Happens Next Work has already begun in Poland, where plans for 700 kilometers of fortified surveillance infrastructure—under the Shield-East program—were announced earlier this year. The final configuration, defense leaders say, will depend on top-level political direction within NATO.
