Latest news with #United24
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine is using an AI-powered, automated turret to shoot down Russia's devastating Shahed drones
Ukraine has deployed an AI-powered turret that can down Shahed drones, a Ukrainian officer told BI. He said one of the guns had been used in combat six times and destroyed six drones as of last week. It appears to be the first confirmation that a Sky Sentinel had so many confirmed kills. Ukraine has deployed an AI-powered turret that has already shot down at least six of Russia's devastating Shahed drones, a military officer told Business Insider. Yuriy, the commander of Ukraine's air defense group, told BI last week that the system, called the Sky Sentinel, has "already been deployed in real combat, demonstrating high effectiveness." He said one prototype shot down six Shaheds in as many operational uses. This appears to be the first confirmation that one of the Sky Sentinels had downed up to six exploding drones. Ukraine previously said that the turret had been successfully tested, including on the front lines. United24, a Ukrainian government initiative that raises funds to purchase weaponry for the military, said last week that a Sky Sentinel prototype was used at the front, where it successfully shot down four Shahed drones. The Sky Sentinel can also take down cruise missiles that are within its effective range, United24 said, but added that many details regarding the system couldn't be revealed due to security concerns. In remarks to BI, Yuriy, who went by only his first name, a standard practice in the Ukrainian military, described the Sky Sentinel as "a cost-effective and scalable solution for defending both cities and frontline regions from Shaheds, reconnaissance drones, and even cruise missiles." Its deployment comes at a critical moment for Ukraine. Russia has been pounding its neighbor with unrelenting drone and missile bombardments. Over the weekend, Moscow launched 472 attack and decoy drones — its biggest air attack with drones to date. The Sky Sentinel system is designed to require almost no human involvement. This could be key for Ukraine as it tries to stop Russia's aerial attacks amid concerns about dwindling stockpiles of Western air defenses. Yuriy said that the weapon is "powered by AI and designed for autonomous operation." He told BI that when a turret is in a combat position and synced up with radar data, "it independently scans the airspace, identifies threats, locks onto aerial targets, calculates their speed and trajectory, and determines the exact firing point." An operator does not manually select targets, he added. "Instead, the system's sensors and software do it autonomously." Sky Sentinel does the "target detection, tracking, and automatic aiming" itself, Yuriy said, but it still needs human authorization before it fires. "This approach reduces the chance of error while still maintaining human oversight." He said the weapon has successfully identified targets: "Its AI can distinguish between birds and drones, and only engages when the threat is clearly identified. It also factors in environmental variables like wind speed." Sky Sentinel can spin 360 degrees and is equipped with a machine gun. United24 said the turret can strike "small, fast-moving targets" that are travelling up to almost 500 miles an hour. Its range is classified. The weapon is also precise enough to hit much smaller targets, per United24, which said that the system successfully hit targets five times smaller than Shaheds in field tests. It is unclear how many have been made to date. United24, which has a crowdfunding campaign for 10 of the turrets, said the system's development team was focused on trying to deliver dozens every month. The Sky Sentinel could be key to protecting Ukraine's cities. Russia can fire hundreds of drones in a single night, and Ukraine has struggled with having enough air defenses since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Its attacks often use Shaheds, Iran-designed drones that Russia fires en masse to try to overwhelm Ukraine's defenses. The attacks leave Ukraine with a major problem: Many of the missiles it has that can potentially stop Russia's attacks cost far more than the Russian drones they target. That's another way the Sky Sentinel could be particularly useful. Each Sky Sentinel unit costs around $150,000. Meanwhile, missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense system, which Ukraine has a few of in its cities, cost around $4 million each, and the Patriot system itself costs about $1.1 billion. Even if the Sky Sentinel is less capable than the Patriot, which can stop faster ballistic missiles, having it shoot down cheaper targets would be a big boost to Ukraine. According to United24, the developers believe that 10 to 30 Sky Sentinels would be needed to protect a city. The cost of even 30 systems would be less than many single air defense missiles, United24 said. And Kyiv needs more systems to protect its cities. It says, for example, that it needs dozens more Patriot systems than it has. United24 added that Sky Sentinel can also be used in dangerous frontline areas, and other variants are being designed for different types of missions. The new system was entirely designed and tested in Ukraine and uses software designed by Ukrainian engineers, per United24. However, it does rely on some foreign-made parts that have no Ukrainian equivalent. United24 did not name its developer, something that is common as Ukraine seeks to protect its weapons makers. It's another example of Ukraine's growing defense industry, which is supplying an increasing part of Ukraine's arsenal, especially amid questions over the future of US security assistance. Ukraine has increasingly been investing in AI-powered and robotic technology, including ground robots. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told BI that Ukraine is also using robots that fire at Russian troops and targets, while allowing its soldiers to stay safe from return fire. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business Insider
Ukraine is using an AI-powered, automated turret to shoot down Russia's devastating Shahed drones
Ukraine has deployed an AI-powered turret that has already shot down at least six of Russia's devastating Shahed drones, a military official told Business Insider. Yuriy, the commander of Ukraine's air defense group, told BI last week that the system, called the Sky Sentinel, has "already been deployed in real combat, demonstrating high effectiveness." He said one prototype shot down six Shaheds in as many operational uses. This appears to be the first confirmation that one of the Sky Sentinels had downed up to six exploding drones. Ukraine previously said that the turret had been successfully tested, including on the front lines. United24, a Ukrainian government initiative that raises funds to purchase weaponry for the military, said last week that a Sky Sentinel prototype was used at the front, where it successfully shot down four Shahed drones. The Sky Sentinel can also take down cruise missiles that are within its effective range, United24 said, but added that many details regarding the system couldn't be revealed due to security concerns. In remarks to BI, Yuriy, who went by only his first name, a standard practice in the Ukrainian military, described the Sky Sentinel as "a cost-effective and scalable solution for defending both cities and frontline regions from Shaheds, reconnaissance drones, and even cruise missiles." Its deployment comes at a critical moment for Ukraine. Russia has been pounding its neighbor with unrelenting drone and missile bombardments. Over the weekend, Moscow launched 472 attack and decoy drones — its biggest air attack with drones to date. Little human involvement The Sky Sentinel system is designed to require almost no human involvement. This could be key for Ukraine as it tries to stop Russia's aerial attacks amid concerns about dwindling stockpiles of Western air defenses. Yuriy said that the weapon is "powered by AI and designed for autonomous operation." He told BI that when a turret is in a combat position and synced up with radar data, "it independently scans the airspace, identifies threats, locks onto aerial targets, calculates their speed and trajectory, and determines the exact firing point." An operator does not manually select targets, he added. "Instead, the system's sensors and software do it autonomously." Sky Sentinel does the "target detection, tracking, and automatic aiming" itself, Yuriy said, but it still needs human authorization before it fires. "This approach reduces the chance of error while still maintaining human oversight." He said the weapon has successfully identified targets: "Its AI can distinguish between birds and drones, and only engages when the threat is clearly identified. It also factors in environmental variables like wind speed." Sky Sentinel can spin 360 degrees and is equipped with a machine gun. United24 said the turret can strike "small, fast-moving targets" that are travelling up to almost 500 miles an hour. Its range is classified. The weapon is also precise enough to hit much smaller targets, per United24, which said that the system successfully hit targets five times smaller than Shaheds in field tests. It is unclear how many have been made to date. United24, which has a crowdfunding campaign for 10 of the turrets, said the system's development team was focused on trying to deliver dozens every month. Needed by Ukraine The Sky Sentinel could be key to protecting Ukraine's cities. Russia can fire hundreds of drones in a single night, and Ukraine has struggled with having enough air defenses since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Its attacks often use Shaheds, Iran-designed drones that Russia fires en masse to try to overwhelm Ukraine's defenses. The attacks leave Ukraine with a major problem: Many of the missiles it has that can potentially stop Russia's attacks cost far more than the Russian drones they target. That's another way the Sky Sentinel could be particularly useful. Each Sky Sentinel unit costs around $150,000. Meanwhile, missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense system, which Ukraine has a few of in its cities, cost around $4 million each, and the Patriot system itself costs about $1.1 billion. Even if the Sky Sentinel is less capable than the Patriot, which can stop faster ballistic missiles, having it shoot down cheaper targets would be a big boost to Ukraine. According to United24, the developers believe that 10 to 30 Sky Sentinels would be needed to protect a city. The cost of even 30 systems would be less than many single air defense missiles, United24 said. And Kyiv needs more systems to protect its cities. It says, for example, that it needs dozens more Patriot systems than it has. United24 added that Sky Sentinel can also be used in dangerous frontline areas, and other variants are being designed for different types of missions. Ukrainian designed The new system was entirely designed and tested in Ukraine and uses software designed by Ukrainian engineers, per United24. However, it does rely on some foreign-made parts that have no Ukrainian equivalent. United24 did not name its developer, something that is common as Ukraine seeks to protect its weapons makers. It's another example of Ukraine's growing defense industry, which is supplying an increasing part of Ukraine's arsenal, especially amid questions over the future of US security assistance. Ukraine has increasingly been investing in AI-powered and robotic technology, including ground robots. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told BI that Ukraine is also using robots that fire at Russian troops and targets, while allowing its soldiers to stay safe from return fire.
Euronews
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Should we stop platforming Russian culture?
ADVERTISEMENT It's been more than three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. The United States and the European Union rallied behind the country providing financial and military support, while a cultural boycott saw Russia banned from multinational events like Eurovision . Russian artists and institutions were also boycotted. When London's Royal Ballet put on a performance of 'The Nutcracker' in late 2022, it confirmed its policy wouldn't be to work with those associated with the Russian state, such as the Bolshoi Theatre. Since 2022, strict approaches like these have waned. For example, the controversial Russians at War which debuted at last year's Venice Biennale. Yet, throughout Europe, Russian culture continues to be enjoyed at large. Russia's long history of literature, classical music and theatre is so enmeshed within the Western artistic canon, that despite some early calls for its boycott, many European institutions have remained behind a position of separating the art from the current political climate. From the start of the war, Ukraine's position has been a total boycott of Russian art. Now, the government-run fundraising platform, United24, is renewing its efforts, to keep its agenda in the public eye, and it fears Western perception is moving more favourably towards the Russian state. 'While many people believe that culture is outside of politics,' a United24 Media Representative, who didn't want to be named, tells Euronews Culture. 'Russia uses this belief to support the image of the country it needs.' Related 'Restoration of justice': A Christmas carol defying imperialism World Theatre Day: With men at war, a Ukrainian theatre stands strong with an all-female cast Right now, there are two major theatre productions of Anton Chekhov's works in London, 'The Seagull' at the Barbican starring Cate Blanchett, and 'Three Sisters' at Shakespeare's Globe. There's also a production of the great Russian playwright's 'The Cherry Orchard' at Paris' Comédie-Française , and 'The Seagull' is set to run later this year in Berlin's Schaubühne. It's not just Chekhov. Just last month, a production of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' ran at Milan's Teatro alla Scala. Even 19th century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky had something of a renaissance when Gen Z readers discovered his short story "White Nights" last year through a #BookTok trend for the romantic novella. 'Eugene Onegin' at Teatro alla Scala Brescia e Amisano But a new campaign from United24 says that the continued embrace of Russian culture – and particularly its literature – needs to be further inspected. 'Literature was without question the most effective tool of colonisation of the non-Russian outskirts of the Russian Empire,' the representative says. Dig deeper into these 'Russian greats' and you find strains of thought that are pervasive in the current nation's belligerence. Whether it is Leo Tolstoy's glorification of the empire or Alexander Pushkin's othering of Ukrainians, United 24 believes these greats can't be read in a vacuum away from the war. 'The works of Lermontov, Chekhov, and Tolstoy clearly depict Ukrainian Cossacks in a negative light. They are portrayed as wild and illiterate, which is both untrue and unsurprising, given their history of fierce resistance to the Russian Empire,' United24 says. People walk past the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine, following a March 16, 2022, bombing of the theatre, which was used as a shelter AP Photo If Russia's literary classics were so great, why have they 'failed to prevent the events that are currently unfolding?' United24 asks. The agency is concerned that through consuming Russian culture, it acts as propaganda. Its campaign 'Russian culture distracts from Russian crimes' highlights the heavy toll on Ukrainian cultural institutions. Early into the war, the Mariupol Drama Theatre was bombed by Russian forces. At the time, it was being used as a shelter and it's estimated around 600 people were killed. Both London Chekhov productions declined the opportunity to comment on the topic. However, Ani Kokobobo, Associate Professor of Russian Literature at University of Kansas, argues that we shouldn't turn away completely from Russian literature '[A] human being living on the surface of the Earth has no right to turn away and ignore what is happening on Earth, and there are higher moral imperatives for this,' she says, quoting Dostoevsky. The Russian Culture Distracts You from Russian Crimes campaign United24 Media 'Surely the intentional shelling of children in Mariupol is something Dostoevsky couldn't possibly look away from either,' Kokobobo writes in The Conversation . 'At the same time, nor should readers look away from the unseemliness of Dostoevsky and his sense of Russian exceptionalism.' ADVERTISEMENT For Kokobobo too, it's impossible to shy away from much of the nation's literature that propagates Russian dogmatism of its own greatness. These ideas "are connected to the broader ideology that has fueled Russia's past colonial mission, and current Russian foreign politics on violent display in Ukraine," she says. If Russian literature wasn't enough to stop the war, inspiration from it may still be crucial to the downfall of Putin's regime. So believed assassinated opposition politician Alexey Navalny , who quoted Tolstoy after his March 2022 trial: 'War is a product of despotism. Those who want to fight war must only fight despotism.' There is also contemporary Russian culture made by dissidents to take into consideration. For instance, film director Kirill Serebrennikov has faced persecution in his home country moving to Berlin after years under house arrest. He's a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin , not just for the war, but also for Russia's crippling stance on LGBTQ rights. His most recent film Limonov: The Ballad about the political dissident debuted at last year's Cannes Film Festival . Similarly, the frequently persecuted punk band Pussy Riot have continued to stoke controversy. In 2022, members were arrested before an attempt to storm the pitch at the World Cup final in Qatar to protest the war in Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT If we can't fully detach ourselves from Russian culture, United24 argues that people should at least further champion Ukrainian art and give it its due recognition. 'It has much to offer the world, despite its systematic destruction over the last 300 years by the Russian Empire, through which it not only passed with honour but also preserved itself and developed,' the representative says. 'And it is definitely worth preserving for the future. Which, of course, is impossible unless Putin is stopped.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Should we stop platforming Russian culture?
It's been more than three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. The United States and the European Union rallied behind the country providing financial and military support, while a cultural boycott saw Russia banned from multinational events like Eurovision. Russian artists and institutions were also boycotted. When London's Royal Ballet put on a performance of 'The Nutcracker' in late 2022, it confirmed its policy wouldn't be to work with those associated with the Russian state, such as the Bolshoi Theatre. Since 2022, strict approaches like these have waned. For example, the controversial Russians at War which debuted at last year's Venice Biennale. Yet, throughout Europe, Russian culture continues to be enjoyed at large. Russia's long history of literature, classical music and theatre is so enmeshed within the Western artistic canon, that despite some early calls for its boycott, many European institutions have remained behind a position of separating the art from the current political climate. From the start of the war, Ukraine's position has been a total boycott of Russian art. Now, the government-run fundraising platform, United24, is renewing its efforts, to keep its agenda in the public eye, and it fears Western perception is moving more favourably towards the Russian state. 'While many people believe that culture is outside of politics,' a United24 Media Representative, who didn't want to be named, tells Euronews Culture. 'Russia uses this belief to support the image of the country it needs.' Related 'Restoration of justice': A Christmas carol defying imperialism World Theatre Day: With men at war, a Ukrainian theatre stands strong with an all-female cast Right now, there are two major theatre productions of Anton Chekhov's works in London, 'The Seagull' at the Barbican starring Cate Blanchett, and 'Three Sisters' at Shakespeare's Globe. There's also a production of the great Russian playwright's 'The Cherry Orchard' at Paris' Comédie-Française, and 'The Seagull' is set to run later this year in Berlin's Schaubühne. It's not just Chekhov. Just last month, a production of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' ran at Milan's Teatro alla Scala. Even 19th century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky had something of a renaissance when Gen Z readers discovered his short story "White Nights" last year through a #BookTok trend for the romantic novella. But a new campaign from United24 says that the continued embrace of Russian culture – and particularly its literature – needs to be further inspected. 'Literature was without question the most effective tool of colonisation of the non-Russian outskirts of the Russian Empire,' the representative says. Dig deeper into these 'Russian greats' and you find strains of thought that are pervasive in the current nation's belligerence. Whether it is Leo Tolstoy's glorification of the empire or Alexander Pushkin's othering of Ukrainians, United 24 believes these greats can't be read in a vacuum away from the war. 'The works of Lermontov, Chekhov, and Tolstoy clearly depict Ukrainian Cossacks in a negative light. They are portrayed as wild and illiterate, which is both untrue and unsurprising, given their history of fierce resistance to the Russian Empire,' United24 says. If Russia's literary classics were so great, why have they 'failed to prevent the events that are currently unfolding?' United24 asks. The agency is concerned that through consuming Russian culture, it acts as propaganda. Its campaign 'Russian culture distracts from Russian crimes' highlights the heavy toll on Ukrainian cultural institutions. Early into the war, the Mariupol Drama Theatre was bombed by Russian forces. At the time, it was being used as a shelter and it's estimated around 600 people were killed. Both London Chekhov productions declined the opportunity to comment on the topic. However, Ani Kokobobo, Associate Professor of Russian Literature at University of Kansas, argues that we shouldn't turn away completely from Russian literature '[A] human being living on the surface of the Earth has no right to turn away and ignore what is happening on Earth, and there are higher moral imperatives for this,' she says, quoting Dostoevsky. 'Surely the intentional shelling of children in Mariupol is something Dostoevsky couldn't possibly look away from either,' Kokobobo writes in The Conversation. 'At the same time, nor should readers look away from the unseemliness of Dostoevsky and his sense of Russian exceptionalism.' For Kokobobo too, it's impossible to shy away from much of the nation's literature that propagates Russian dogmatism of its own greatness. These ideas "are connected to the broader ideology that has fueled Russia's past colonial mission, and current Russian foreign politics on violent display in Ukraine," she says. If Russian literature wasn't enough to stop the war, inspiration from it may still be crucial to the downfall of Putin's regime. So believed assassinated opposition politician Alexey Navalny, who quoted Tolstoy after his March 2022 trial: 'War is a product of despotism. Those who want to fight war must only fight despotism.' There is also contemporary Russian culture made by dissidents to take into consideration. For instance, film director Kirill Serebrennikov has faced persecution in his home country moving to Berlin after years under house arrest. He's a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, not just for the war, but also for Russia's crippling stance on LGBTQ rights. His most recent film Limonov: The Ballad about the political dissident debuted at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Similarly, the frequently persecuted punk band Pussy Riot have continued to stoke controversy. In 2022, members were arrested before an attempt to storm the pitch at the World Cup final in Qatar to protest the war in Ukraine. If we can't fully detach ourselves from Russian culture, United24 argues that people should at least further champion Ukrainian art and give it its due recognition. 'It has much to offer the world, despite its systematic destruction over the last 300 years by the Russian Empire, through which it not only passed with honour but also preserved itself and developed,' the representative says. 'And it is definitely worth preserving for the future. Which, of course, is impossible unless Putin is stopped.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ukraine selling T-shirts with Zelensky quote from Trump-Vance meeting
The Ukrainian government has launched a T-shirt fundraising effort seeking to capitalize on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's now-infamous Oval Office meeting Friday with President Trump and Vice President Vance. The meeting, which unraveled to such an extent that a joint press conference between the two sides scheduled for afterward was canceled, included multiple moments that went viral, such as when Zelensky was criticized for not wearing a suit. He has dressed in more military-themed garb since Russia invaded his country three years ago. United24, a Ukrainian state-sponsored platform that raises funds amid the ongoing war, is raffling off 100 T-shirts with Zelensky's response: 'I'll wear a costume when the war is over.' In Ukrainian, the word 'costume' is used as a translated term for suit. The raffle is open to those who donate $24 or more toward Kyiv's defense efforts. 'They're emphasizing the words of our President — a reminder that there is a time and place for everything,' United24's online post reads. 'There will be a time when we can all wear suits. Right now, it is time to help Ukraine finish this war. You have all the cards to support Ukraine — it's time to play them. Donate to help Ukraine finish this war and win something to wear instead of a suit,' it concluded. During Friday's Oval Office spat, Zelensky tried to tell Trump of the brutality endured by his citizens amid the war. Trump urged his counterpart to show more gratitude for American dollars fueling Ukraine. 'Don't tell us what we're going to feel. You're in no position to dictate that. You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,' Trump said in front of cameras. 'You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country — this country — that has backed you.' The president and members of his administration have called on Zelensky to apologize for the meeting. Tensions have risen between Trump and Zelensky in recent weeks after the former called the latter a 'dictator without elections' who had done a 'terrible job.' Trump also recently suggested Ukraine was to blame for the start of the war with Russia. On Monday, Trump, who has been pressuring Ukraine to sign a a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical mineral supply, paused American military aid to Kyiv. Updated at 4:07 p.m. EST Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
