Poland says two Russian fighter jets flew low over a Polish offshore oil platform in the Baltic Sea on 19 September. Earlier the same day, Russian military aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace.

Russian jets violate safety zone over Polish oil platform

According to the Polish Border Service, the two Russian warplanes carried out a low-altitude flyover of a platform operated by Petrobaltic in the Baltic Sea. The aircraft violated the platform’s designated safety zone. Petrobaltic is a Polish company involved in oil and natural gas exploration and production in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The border guards did not specify the exact model of the aircraft involved in the incident.

The incident occurred on 19 September 2025 and was publicly reported by the Polish Border Service on X at 18:45 local time. In its post, the agency stated:

“Two Russian fighter jets carried out a low-altitude flyover above the Petrobaltic platform in the Baltic Sea. The safety zone of the platform was violated. The Polish Armed Forces and other services have been notified.”

Pattern of provocations continues

The airspace breach near the Polish platform took place just hours after a separate violation of Estonia’s airspace. On the same day, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets reportedly entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission.

Estonian officials said the aircraft remained in their airspace for approximately 12 minutes and flew near Tallinn before Italian F-35 jets operating under NATO command were scrambled to intercept them.

More than a week earlier, multiple Russian military drones violated Polish airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble and shoot down some of the drones. Later, a Russian drone also entered Romanian airspace.

Exclusives

Ukraine could make the EU’s drone wall actually work—if politics allows. Europe’s weapons cost millions; Ukraine’s solutions cost hundreds.

As Russia clamps down, Ukraine sells assets in wartime reform gamble. Record $216 million in transparent auctions sends crucial signal to Western allies.

Ukraine’s AI drones have 18 months to outpace Russia in existential “ruthless swarm” race. They can’t hit moving trucks yet—but they have 18 months to become “ruthless swarms” in a race that could decide the war

PepsiCo still making money in Russia—and helping fund war. PepsiCo must exit Russia immediately or be held accountable.

The Bulat tanks are tired. But Ukraine can’t afford to ditch them.. They used to be Ukraine’s best tanks. But they’re worn out and they’re too heavy, so the Bulats are fading away.

The battlefield around Pokrovsk is “a total mess.” And it’s about to get worse.. How many Russians are left in their salient northeast of Pokrovsk, and where are they? No outsiders know for sure.

Military

Frontline report: Ukraine Targets Russia’s Logistical Backbone in Coordinated Rail Sabotage Campaign
Ukrainians have unleashed a devastating rail campaign that systematically targeted Russia’s core supply arteries across multiple regions, disrupting the flow of troops, fuel and equipment that keep the Russian war effort alive.

Zelenskyy announces plans for controlled arms exports to fund Ukrainian weapons production
While priority remains supplying frontline units and national stockpiles, Zelenskyy announced that controlled exports of surplus weapons will help finance expanded domestic arms production.

Ukraine’s WWI-era weapon downs advanced Russian Kh-69 cruise missile over Kyiv with $11 worth of ammo

Ukraine’s SOF strike in Kursk Oblast destroys hub for Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade
According to the military report, the attack wiped out depots, equipment stores, and hidden weapons supporting Russian operations near Kharkiv and Sumy.

Ukraine to outmatch Russia’s drone attacks with 1,000 interceptors a day, Ukrainian PM assures
Shmyhal claims Ukraine’s ability to intercept drones will soon surpass the intensity of Russia’s nightly drone use.

Frontline report: Ukrainian Army’s Brazilians quietly encircle Russian troops near Pokrovsk — and eliminate them one by one
In the forests and villages outside Pokrovsk, foreign fighters ambushed infiltration groups and raised Ukrainian flags in secured areas.

Intelligence and Technology

Russia, Iran recruiting Middle Eastern mercenaries for war in Ukraine – media
Intelligence sources describe large-scale deception operation targeting conflict zone populations.

Kremlin still believes they can win war of attrition against Ukraine — yet ISW says Russia’s victory “not inevitable”
Putin and Gerasimov continue to promote the idea that Russia’s slow advances will ultimately force Ukraine’s collapse.

Ukrainian drone engineers suggest dropping nets on Russia’s roadside ambush drones (video)
The nets tangle the enemy drones’ propellers, trapping them in waiting positions, unable to launch an attack on passing vehicles.

Ukraine’s drone forces aim to reach 5% of total military — for full front coverage
August statistics show the Unmanned Systems Forces is responsible for over 21,000 out of 60,000 verified targets.

Russia might have transferred nuclear submarine reactors to North Korea for US strike capability
Kim Jong Un inspected submarine construction in March while persistently requesting advanced fighter jets alongside nuclear technology.

International

Russian warplanes violated Polish oil rig zone on same day as Estonia airspace breach. Defense services were alerted after the planes breached the safety perimeter of Poland’s offshore energy site.

Eight EU countries continue to buy Russian gas – EU spokesperson

The European Commission announced a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports on Friday, marking a major step to end the EU’s reliance on Moscow.

Russian warplanes violated NATO member Estonia’s airspace – Tallinn
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace on Friday amid heightened tensions with NATO, the Estonian Foreign Ministry reported.

Russian crypto, banks, and oil trade hit in EU’s proposed 19th sanctions package
The proposal bans Russian LNG, hits 118 vessels, and still needs approval from all member states to take effect.

ExxonMobil, largest US-based oil company, says it doesn’t plan to engage in Russia’s Arctic project after Trump-Putin summit
CEO Darren Woods confirms the company seeks only asset recovery through arbitration rather than renewed investment.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Zaporizhzhia building anti-drone tunnels over roads to protect civilians and logistics
Netting tunnels protect civilians and logistics routes against increasingly sophisticated fibre-optic drone attacks.

Another 86 Russian drones launched overnight—most intercepted, some hit Kyiv and Pavlohrad, injuring a man
Air Force confirms 71 drones downed, 15 struck targets in six locations, another landed unexploded in Kyiv.

Read our previous daily review here.

Today the biggest news comes from the Russian Federation. 

Here, Ukrainians unleashed a devastating rail campaign that systematically targeted Russia’s core supply arteries across multiple regions. 

With the flow of troops, fuel and equipment disrupted or halted completely, Ukrainians severed the veins that keep the Russian war effort alive.

Recent Major Rail Attacks

Just two days ago, three Russian National Guard officers were killed by a mine planted under the rail line in the Orel region. 

The explosion halted the connection to Kursk and delayed more than 15 trains, a direct hit on one of the primary corridors of supplying Russian forces along the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. 

That same night, sabotage in Leningrad Oblast derailed a locomotive pulling 15 fuel tankers. Rail traffic in both directions was stopped and a train operator was killed. 

In Tver, Ukrainian military intelligence conducted a precision operation. Planting explosives beneath parked fuel cars and remotely detonating them at the main junction. 

Farther south, Ukrainian special operation forces confirmed a successful strike on a fuel train at Jankoy station in Crimea, disrupting supply to Russia’s southern grouping of forces. 

And in a particularly brutal sequence near Ostrakivk in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian forces blew up a rail line, derailed a freight train and then used FPV drones to ignite the spillway. 

The Ukrainian forces were also involved in the operation of the train, but they did not have enough fuel.

Strategic Campaign Scope and Innovation

These are not isolated incidents. They are the sharp edge of a campaign to make rail-based Russian logistics near impossible. 

The pace and precision of the campaign are accelerating as Ukraine is now striking deeper, more frequently, and with a broader toolkit of rail bombs, FPVs, sabotage units and coordinated drone raids. 

This reflects not only Ukrainian innovation but also a strategic playbook, outlined months ago in reports echoed by Russian analysts. 

Railways are Russia’s logistical backbone, as nearly all heavy equipment, fuel and personnel destined for Ukraine pass through a handful of chokepoints, bridges, traction substations and switching stations. 

Suppose two or three such disruptions happen at once, in that case reserves get stuck, rotations are missed and continuous offensive pressure collapses, allowing Ukrainian frontline soldiers to deal with scattered offensives more easily.

Additional Infrastructure Attacks Across Multiple Regions

Beyond the headline strikes, the rest of the rear is also under strain, because in the Leningrad region three more cars were derailed and in the Komny region partisans set fire to a locomotive on the station. 

Drone attacks damaged relay cabinets at Arkheda station in Volgograd and sparked fires across multiple rail points in Rostov. 

In Voronezh, a Ukrainian strike hit a traction substation that powers the Zhuravka-Milervo line, a route built to bypass Ukrainian territory, and forced an automatic shutdown of the nearby nuclear reactor due to electrical instability. 

Krasnodar and Bryansk also saw substations hit, both key to moving trains along the southern corridor. 

In Melitopol, Ukrainian intelligence blew up an ammo depot linked to a railway route and killed multiple Russian marines, while additional fuel trains were targeted in Molochansk and in southern Zaporizhzhia.

Strategic Pattern and Infrastructure Targeting

The pattern of strikes follows a clear logic, not just targeting moving trains, but attacking the static infrastructure that supports them. Substations, relay boxes and switching stations are now regular targets.

In total, Russian sources admit that over 250 trains were delayed in recent weeks alone, with the bulk of the economic disruption stemming from strikes in the Rostov, Volgograd and Krasnodar regions.

It is a map-wide degradation that may not fully paralyze Russian logistics in a single stroke, but it is sustained and increasingly difficult for Moscow to contain.

Overall Impact and Strategic Assessment

Overall, the collapse of Russian logistics is no longer a prediction, it is a visible process unfolding in real time.

Ukraine has found the formula in bypassing hardened military targets and striking the soft static infrastructure that supports them.

Rail sabotage, fuel train ambushes and targeted substation attacks have left Russia scrambling to repair, re-route and recover their railway network.

With each strike, the cost of fighting will increase, and the Russian military will be able to return to the moving supplies grows and the margin for sustaining their various offensives narrows. If this tempo holds,

Russia may soon be unable to move fast enough to fight at all, as many sectors are already seeing the Russian offensive tempo decrease dramatically.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

In response to frequent drone attacks in the region, authorities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have begun constructing specialized anti-drone tunnels by erecting netting structures over key roads, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Friday, as reported by Akzent.zp.ua.

The anti-drone netting tunnels allow civilians and military vehicles to move safely while keeping supply routes open near the frontline.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in southeastern Ukraine, contains active frontlines in the ongoing war with Russia. The region experiences frequent attacks, including drone strikes and artillery fire, putting both civilians and military supply routes at constant risk.

FPV drones controlled via fiber-optic cables rather than traditional radio signals have increasingly threatened roads up to 25-30 kilometers from the front line. In recent weeks, attacks by these drones have claimed at least four civilian lives. 

“Since the enemy began deploying fiber-optic drones extensively, supply routes have become extremely dangerous, even 15-20 kilometers from the front. These tunnels are currently the only effective way to protect civilians and military personnel,” Fedorov said.

The first test segment, stretching 6.4 kilometers, has already proven effective. Authorities now plan to expand the network over tens of kilometers, with the ultimate goal of covering hundreds of kilometers across the region.

Fiber-optic FPV drones transmit video and control signals through a cable that unspools in flight, making them largely immune to electronic countermeasures. While their reliability and resistance to jamming are big advantages, their range is limited by cable length, and the fiber can become tangled or damaged during operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday plans to begin controlled exports of certain Ukrainian weapons to help finance domestic arms production.

Speaking in his evening address, Zelenskyy said that while priority remains supplying frontline units and maintaining national stockpiles, surplus modern weapons – such as sea drones and some anti-tank systems – could be exported under strict controls.

Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine can produce certain modern weapons in far greater quantities than it can currently fund on its own, while some types of arms are already in surplus relative to the country’s immediate needs.

He emphasized that exports will be for allied countries with verified interest in supporting Ukraine, while preventing technology from reaching Russian forces or their collaborators.

Ukrainian forces, companies, and the army possess extensive experience in modern warfare, particularly in operating advanced weapons and cutting-edge technologies, the president highlighted.

Within two weeks, Ukraine plans to present three export platforms: one for the US, one for European partners, and one for other international allies.

Zelenskyy said the initiative will allow Ukrainian manufacturers to expand production, particularly of drones needed at the front, while covering funding gaps in domestic defense production.

He also indicated that there is strong international interest in collaborative weapons production with Ukraine, and that demand for Ukrainian arms is clear.

“First priority is the front, supplying our brigades. Second is our national arsenals. Only third comes controlled exports,” Zelenskyy said. He stressed that exports are not meant as “weapons charity,” but as a strategic tool to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Europe faces a problem it’s never solved: how to stop thousands of cheap drones without bankrupting itself firing million-dollar missiles at styrofoam.

Ukraine already knows the answer.

The European Union’s “drone wall” defense initiative, reinvigorated just hours after Russian drones violated Polish and Romanian airspace on 10 September, could elevate Ukraine from aid recipient to essential defense partner— if said allies can overcome the technical and organizational challenges of such an ambitious project.

The scale of the ambition involved is hard to understate. “It requires a whole paradigm shift,” Kirill Mikhailov, a military researcher with the Conflict Intelligence Team, told Euromaidan Press. Brigham McCown, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, called it a “monumental undertaking.”

If successful, the initiative can further accelerate Ukraine’s transformation from a beleaguered country asking for aid into an important part of European defensive strategy. Ukraine can help develop the technology, industrial practices, and organizational doctrines required for a new way of air war.

The need to integrate weapon systems and practices could also bind Ukraine even closer to its allies and help develop additional trust, potentially helping its arms-producing companies develop.

Why Ukraine holds the keys to Europe’s defense future

For Europe, it’s a way to evolve from reliance on big, expensive weapons, a doctrine that’s aging in the face of massed cheap unmanned aerial vehicles now swarming the skies.

“It should be pretty obvious that you don’t shoot down styrofoam drones with $2 million missiles,” Mikhailov said. “Thing is, that is all the Europeans currently have.”

Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space, acknowledged a similar point at Ukraine’s Defense Tech Valley expo in Lviv on 17 September.

“We understood a simple truth: we do not have those capabilities that Ukraine has on how to fight against drone invasion,” Kubilius said. “We have F-16s, we have F-35s, we have all other weapons, but we do not have those capabilities.”

It’s unclear to what degree the EU intends to protect Ukraine with this initiative. Kubilius said this curtain must extend “across the entire EU Eastern flank.” This language suggests the possibility that Ukraine will be left to protect its own airspace alone as the EU turtles up.

Furthermore, Kubilius told Euromaidan Press that “each country on the frontline needs to have its own companies to produce,” making unclear the role of Ukrainian developers in the EU’s strategic air defense planning.

Depending on how strongly the EU countries favor local companies, this could make the drone wall more costly and difficult to build.

Kubilius told Euromaidan Press that it was too early to estimate the cost or build time of the initiative, but said that some public estimates by analysts suggest it could be done within a year.

Several defense experts who spoke with Euromaidan Press believe that multiple years are a likelier estimate.

First steps

NATO has been looking into a drone defense initiative throughout the full-scale invasion, military insiders told Euromaidan Press.

The term “drone wall” has cropped up in the news for months. French company Altares, speaking at the Defense Tech Valley, said it’s been working on it for six months, together with the Alliance.

But the rhetoric around a drone wall went into overdrive after the incursion of Russian drones into Polish and Romanian airspace on 10 September. Hours following the attack, in her 2025 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed plans for a new “Eastern Flank Watch.”

This would include the “drone wall,” which she said would stretch down from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Von der Leyen said the EU would set up a “drone alliance” with Ukraine, funded by 6 billion euros. This will fall under the aegis of the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration initiative, which is supposed to provide about 45 billion euros in financial support to Ukraine, with the EU contributing 18.1 billion euros.

Von der Leyen said that a roadmap for “getting new common defence projects off the ground” will be presented at the next European Council on October 23-24, with an eye towards setting clear goals for 2030.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Poland agreed to establish a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems, with representatives from both countries’ armed forces.

What’s in it for Ukraine: from aid recipient to tech powerhouse

There are multiple potential upsides for Kyiv becoming Europe’s defense tech guru. For one, it could help Ukrainian companies grow and expand.

“Ukraine has the silicon valley of this kind of technology, type of know-how and can become the world leader in drone and anti-drone tech, detection, counter, and this has very broad application beyond the current conflict,” McCown said.

Euromaidan Press spoke to several Ukrainian drone producers, who said that despite the government’s stated intention to procure all weapons produced from accredited and trusted contractors, the state is not able to afford their entire production capabilities.

Some Ukrainian companies are longingly eyeing the export market, but Ukraine’s hard restrictions on the import of military tech doesn’t allow it. The drone wall initiative may change things in that regard.

“The government hasn’t been warm to the idea of lifting the arms export ban,” Mikhailov said. “Now that Zelenskyy can paint himself the savior of Europe and make Ukraine indispensable for European security, I have few doubts he would greenlight it if asked.”

DeVore said that Ukraine’s innovation with drones, machine learning, AI and battle management is absolutely deeply respected. Allies are “very hungry to learn these lessons and one can think of this as a form of soft power or influence that Ukraine has.”

However, when asked if this might translate into more negotiating leverage for Kyiv, DeVore doesn’t believe so. “I think those allies that most appreciate and are most eager to learn these lessons are those that already have really close relations with Ukraine and are doing as much as feasible to help Ukraine,” he said.

Countries that are less worried about Russian attacks, such as Spain, Italy, and Hungary may not be swayed enough to change the overall status quo.

“This is a good thing for Ukraine, because that would build trust, interdependence, interoperability,” Mikhailov said. “It can be like the backbone of Ukraine’s further participation in NATO.”

The head of a Ukrainian company that builds interceptor drones, who did not wish to be identified for security reasons, said he hopes a closer working relationship between Ukraine and its allies, as part of the drone wall initiative, could help isolate Russia.

Explore further

Can Ukraine’s $ 1,000 drones really beat Russia’s $ 35,000 Shaheds?

The massive technical challenges ahead

The obstacles the EU must overcome to build the drone wall are as almost as diverse as the hardware involved.

The most obvious challenge is logistical — drones require management of their power supplies, weather resilience and durability. Many thousands of drones must be built, deployed and serviced on a regular basis, with each requiring batteries, charging stations and redundancy plans for failure.

Data architect Daniel Connery said that the truly defining obstacle would be the creation of a software layer that can manage inputs from so many different systems and turn them into one coherent defense network, which is secure from outside tampering.

“Without a unifying software layer, you don’t have a ‘wall’ — you have scattered bricks,” he wrote to Euromaidan Press.

Ukrainian networked battlespace systems like Virazh and Delta may show Europeans the way forward, experts pointed out.

Manufacturing priorities are also bound to come up. After decades of consolidation, Europe has a small number of large defense contractors. These types of companies aren’t the most nimble when it comes to pivoting from producing few expensive weapons to many cheap ones.

Most analysts agreed that smaller companies will rush to fill that space, whether it’s local European firms that manufacture civilian equipment, or Ukrainian firms opening subsidiaries.

Speaking at the Defense Tech Valley, some Western firms complained about bureaucracy and confusing official procedures when it comes to doing business in each others’ territory. Legal, administrative and security clearance questions likely need to be resolved before cooperation can be scaled up to greater heights, experts said.

Ukraine might also need to accelerate its judicial reforms, as its legal environment is an Achilles’ heel when it comes to foreigners doing business with the country.

DeVore said that one problem with European defense programs is the dilemma between spending in Europe and spending efficiently. Systems produced in European nations are more popular with policymakers, but they aren’t the most cost-effective solution.

DeVore believes the drone wall is “fully feasible, it just requires some combination of political will and money.”

“Those two are inversely correlated,” he added. “The more political will the West has in putting this together, the cheaper it is.”

Alya Shandra, the editor-in-chief at Euromaidan Press, contributed reporting.

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Ukraine’s AI drones have 18 months to outpace Russia in existential “ruthless swarm” race

Eight European Union countries continue to import Russian natural gas, EU energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said on Friday, as reported by The Guardian.

This comes as the European Commission announces a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports on Friday, signaling a major step to end the bloc’s reliance on Moscow.

The countries identified are Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. The EU does not have detailed data on where the gas is ultimately used.

The announcement comes amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has urged the EU and NATO members to completely stop importing energy from Russia. 

Some member states, notably Hungary and Slovakia, have raised concerns about phasing out Russian gas without reliable alternative sources. In response, the European Commission moved to fast-track the LNG import ban and release funds to help secure the support of these countries.

Despite efforts to reduce dependence on Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia still accounts for roughly 19% of the EU’s gas imports. 

The bloc continues to push for reduced dependence on Moscow as part of broader sanctions targeting Russia in response to the invasion.

Ukrainian officials told a panel of US lawmakers that at least 20,000 Cuban citizens have signed contracts with the Russian military

Estonia on Friday summoned the Russian Federation’s chargé d’affaires to protest a violation of its airspace, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Three Russian MIG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission and remained for approximately 12 minutes, officials said.

The jets reportedly flew near Estonia’s capital city, Tallinn, before NATO’s Italian F-35 jets scrambled to intercept them. 

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal later announced that the country is invoking NATO’s Article 4 over the incident. Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows any member state to request consultations with allies when it perceives a threat to its territorial integrity, political independence, or security. Poland took the same step earlier this month following drone breaches into its airspace on 10 September.

“Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. 

“Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure,” he added

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas called the incursion an “extremely dangerous provocation,” adding that “Putin is testing the West’s resolve.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the Russian incursion as part of a broader campaign of destabilization against Europe and NATO. He described the violations as “not accidental” and called for a coordinated response from the international community.

“Russian destabilization is spreading to new countries and directions. They are using all tools, from interference in political processes to violations of airspace,” Zelenskyy said, urging Europe, the United States, and the G7 to act decisively.

He stressed that sustained international pressure, particularly through sanctions, combined with a strong Ukrainian military, is essential to increase Russia’s losses in the war and defend against further aggression.

The incident follows heightened tensions on NATO’s eastern borders, with recent Russian drone breaches into its airspace, including Poland and Romania earlier in September. In response to these provocations, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry on September 12 to bolster defense along its eastern flank. 

Ukraine’s first year of large-scale electronic auctions raised over 8.9 billion hryvnias ($216 million) from just four major asset sales, marking long-awaited progress toward market reforms even as the state has expanded control over key economic sectors during wartime.

Ukraine pulls off an economic contradiction: expanding state control while privatizing billions in assets. The country maintains profitable state-owned enterprises that generate billions for the war effort while selling large assets to prove its democratic market commitment to Western allies.

International investors watch wartime experiment

Ukraine’s privatization success during active warfare represents a crucial test case for Western allies. The transparent auctions demonstrate that democratic market mechanisms can function under extreme conditions. It is a model that could reshape post-war reconstruction planning worth hundreds of billions in international investment.

This signals institutional resilience that could survive the transition from wartime emergency measures to a peacetime market economy.

Market signals amid state expansion

The privatization achievements come as Ukraine’s public sector has expanded to its largest size since the 1990s. State-owned banks now control 53% of all banking assets and over 60% of retail deposits. State enterprises like PrivatBank generated 39% of all banking profits in 2024, contributing billions directly to war financing.

Yet Ukraine has simultaneously cleared the path to privatize profitable state banks, Sense Bank and Ukrgasbank, choosing long-term integration over immediate wartime revenue streams.

The tension reflects broader EU accession requirements that Ukraine become “a functioning market economy” capable of integrating into the single market.

While the European Commission imposes no direct privatization mandates, it has recommended that Ukraine “intensify its privatization efforts” and reduce the anticompetitive effects of state enterprises.

Flagship sales drive results

The reported results from the State Property Fund show that competitive bidding doubled or tripled initial prices for premium assets.

Hotel Ukraine in downtown Kyiv sold for 2.5 billion hryvnias ($61 million) after three bidders drove up the price from the 1 billion hryvnia starting point.

The United Mining and Chemical Company fetched over 3.9 billion hryvnias ($96 million), while sanctioned Russian assets, including the Aeroc gas concrete plant, brought 1.9 billion hryvnias ($46 million)—nearly double its reserve price as three participants competed for the facility.

The Vinnytsiapobuthim household chemical factory also doubled in value during bidding, reaching 608.1 million hryvnias ($14.8 million) with funds from sanctioned asset sales flowing to Ukraine’s Fund for Eliminating Consequences of Armed Aggression.

Transparent platform prevents oligarch capture

All sales used the Prozorro electronic platform, which was designed to ensure equal conditions for investors and prevent the oligarch capture that characterized corrupt 1990s privatizations.

Prozorro CEO Serhiy But noted that the system works effectively even under complex wartime conditions. Online auctions provide equal opportunities for investors while ensuring state assets sell at market prices.

Reform commitment amid challenges

Acting State Property Fund head Ivanna Smachylo emphasized that large privatization represents an effective mechanism for transforming state assets into financial resources. This ensures significant budget revenues and promotes enterprise development that benefits the economy.

The success builds on earlier achievements, with small-scale privatization bringing over 5 billion hryvnias to the state budget since resuming in September 2022, confirming the effectiveness of this investment attraction mechanism.

The Odesa Port Plant and sanctioned asset Motordetal-Konotop are open to any interested parties except those connected to the aggressor country.

Balancing act continues

The results contrast sharply with Russia’s command economy approach, yet also highlight Ukraine’s complex wartime balancing act—the country simultaneously expands state control in critical sectors while privatizing others to signal democratic market commitment.

The success of transparent auctions offers hope that Ukraine can balance immediate wartime needs with building an economy that benefits all participants, not just political and business insiders.

Russia, with support from Iran, is actively recruiting mercenaries from the Middle East to fight in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing intelligence sources. 

Moscow has turned to foreign mercenaries to offset shortages in its regular forces, placing them in frontline roles where they are viewed as more expendable than regular soldiers.

Recruits are being drawn from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and other countries in the region, the report said. Some of those targeted include former members of the militant group Islamic State (ISIS), raising security concerns.

Mercenaries are reportedly being offered payments of $3,000 to $8,000 and the prospect of Russian citizenship after six months of service.

According to the report, fighters are transferred through illegal migration and trade routes along four main directions: via Iran to Armenia and Georgia; via Iran to Azerbaijan; via Iran through Central Asia; and from Afghanistan through Central Asia.

Authorities in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asian states have recently detained migrants attempting to cross borders illegally. Their communications indicated coordination with Russian contacts and specific promises related to military service, the report said.

One Iraqi national, identified as Amir Wisam Jwad, born in 2006, was detained during an attempted border crossing. Documents indicated he had signed a contract with Russia’s Defence Ministry to join a unit referred to as “Baghdad.” The agreement was said to have been arranged through a Russian official and included payment and citizenship guarantees.

Moscow’s expanding global recruitment drive

This Middle East operation represents an escalation in Russia’s global recruitment drive, which now spans at least 21 countries according to intelligence sources. The BBC has confirmed over 523 foreign mercenaries killed fighting for Russia from 28 countries, with the highest numbers from Central Asian nations.

Recent intelligence indicates nearly 20,000 Cuban mercenaries are fighting alongside Russian forces, representing the second-largest foreign contingent after Russian recruits themselves.

Recruitment targeting vulnerable populations

The operation particularly targets economically desperate individuals in conflict-affected regions. Iraq, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries ravaged by years of warfare provide ready pools of potential recruits, including former combatants with ISIS and other armed groups.

Russia’s recruitment strategy mirrors patterns seen elsewhere, where Moscow views mercenaries as “expendable” according to leaked audio recordings. Russian officials have described foreign fighters as “second-rate infantry” whose primary purpose is exhausting Ukrainian forces before regular Russian troops advance.

Ukraine has less than two years to master AI-powered drone warfare before autonomous weapons transform the battlefield into something “totally ruthless,” warns former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. By 2027, Zaluzhnyi predicts, “human involvement will be fully or partially removed not only from the process of control, but also from decision-making about target engagement.”

Whichever side masters autonomous warfare first may gain a decisive advantage that determines the war’s outcome.

The Russo-Ukrainian War has become a race for technological supremacy. Few expected Ukraine to mount such fierce resistance. Western intelligence agencies initially predicted that Kyiv would fall within days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Yet, the war is in its fourth year and has evolved into a grinding war of attrition. Even Russia, a far larger power, now finds itself locked in a technological battle with Ukraine.

For Kyiv, staying ahead technologically wherever possible is essential to fighting back. Ukraine’s demographic and economic constraints make this technological edge a matter of survival, not preference.

As Zaluzhnyi bluntly stated, Ukraine “currently lacks the human and economic resources for a large-scale war” and must rely on technology to compensate for Russia’s numerical advantages.

But the technology isn’t ready yet.

“We are already working on the concept that in the near future there will be no connection between the pilot and UAV on the front line,” said Max Makarchuk, Head of AI at Brave1, Ukraine’s government defense technology accelerator.

But there’s a problem: Makarchuk says the percentage of UAVs hitting their targets is constantly decreasing.

From hobby shop to battlefield centerpiece

At the outset, Ukrainian soldiers relied on off-the-shelf drones. Civilian drone hobbyists began assisting with drone operations, while volunteers trained troops to stream drone footage via Google Meet to observe the battlefield in real time.

These first-person view (FPV) drones could be deployed virtually anywhere and gradually evolved into the centerpiece of battlefield operations. Fighting without drones became unthinkable, and every technical detail began to matter in improving their performance.

“We are attempting to create a killzone of 20 kilometers,” said Andrii, known as Murphy, from the 419th Battalion of Unmanned Systems.

As drone usage continued to scale, electronic warfare systems were increasingly deployed to counter drone effectiveness.

By 2024, Russia began fielding fiber optic drones to bypass jamming – eventually using them to retake most of the Ukrainian-occupied territory in Kursk Oblast after Ukraine’s August incursion.

Fiber optics allow the pilot to maintain a connection to the drone even in the presence of jamming.

Russia and Ukraine race to achieve drone AI breakthrough

Both Russia and Ukraine are rushing to deploy AI capabilities in warfare.

Ukraine benefits from sharing data with Western partners, which provides opportunities to train autonomous weapon systems slated for frontline use.

Both sides also gain an advantage from access to vast, unique datasets that can be used to train AI models.

Drone pilot Bohdan, known by the callsign Bandera and serving in the Unmanned Systems Battalion of Ukraine’s 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Marko Bezruchko, expects fiber-optic drones to become more prevalent in the coming year.

Bohdan’s unit has tested using AI targeting systems, but said “it’s still raw, unfinished tech.”

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“It doesn’t handle moving targets well, like a vehicle driving through uneven terrain,” said Bohdan.

Vitaliy Goncharuk, CEO of A19Lab and former Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Committee of Ukraine, offered a similar perspective from the industry side.

“When it comes to drones in Ukraine, the industry has largely focused on solving the ‘last mile targeting’ problem for FPV drones,” he said.

“At the same time, Russia took a simpler approach: they attached fiber optics to drones and scaled that solution. Fiber optics turned out to be far more effective than AI-based targeting, which often failed to handle edge cases,” said Goncharuk.

As Goncharuk observed, “I believe the impact of AI systems directly on the battlefield in the Ukraine-Russia war will unfortunately remain minimal for Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, is actively investing in this space, with the necessary budget and qualified personnel.”

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov recently said AI is currently most useful for processing massive data sets, helping analysts sift through “millions of gigabytes” of information that would otherwise be unmanageable.

He noted that while elements like target correction are appearing in drones, true AI-driven weapons remain limited, though he expects real combat robots within the next decade.

Meanwhile, both sides have been racing to develop autonomous drones that can resist jamming and enhance targeting.

The long-term goal is to deploy swarms of autonomous drones to overwhelm enemy positions, but building this technology has proven to be far more challenging than anticipated.

Still, Ukrainian forces have already conducted over a hundred swarm missions with Swarmer software, which allows groups of drones to decide which strikes first and adapt if one fails. Even small-scale autonomous teaming, experts note, is an impressive step forward on the battlefield.

The window for solving these problems is narrowing rapidly. Zaluzhnyi warns that whichever side achieves breakthrough AI capabilities first may gain an insurmountable advantage in the autonomous warfare era beginning around 2027.

“Artificial intelligence will gradually replace UAV operators with remote controls in many operations,” said Andriy Kovalenko, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

Where AI actually works today

In Kyiv’s recent Spiderweb Operation in early June, AI-enabled drones were used. The AI used to support the drones were “mainly to stabilize the drone in flight and support the operator,” said Lyuba Shipovich, CEO of Dignitas, which leads the Victory Drones project.

“It ensures smooth navigation and precision over long distances. The AI isn’t making decisions about targets, it’s optimizing the flight path and maintaining control under difficult conditions.”

Shipovich explained that AI-enabled targeting is most effective for mid- to long-range strikes, typically 40-120 kilometers, where the targets are fixed and high-value, such as jamming stations, radar systems, or air defenses.

These deeper strikes carry less risk of friendly fire and don’t require the precision needed for frontline use, where AI is generally avoided.

Inside Ukraine’s AI development efforts

One company at the forefront of this push is Twist Robotics. Its CEO, Viktor Sakharchuk, stated in an interview,

“Ukraine was the first to widely use small FPV drones with guidance systems. Russia also seems to be developing similar technologies and is preparing to scale their use.”

Since 2022, Twist has developed AI training pipelines aimed at bringing autonomous drones to the front line. Sakharchuk noted that there are three main components of autonomous drones with AI:

1. visual navigation
2. visual detection and tracking,
3. trajectory planning.

Each component is trained separately.

The firm relies on a mix of real and synthetic data to train visual AI systems, starting with photorealistic simulation and refining in live trials. “The simulator developed by our company is also widely used for generating synthetic data,” he added.

“The training process for autonomous drones begins in simulation, where we use Obriy, our in-house developed software with a photorealistic environment. Once the models are trained in simulation, they are fine-tuned on real drones and customized for specific models.”

Rostyslav Olenchyn, executive director of Twist Robotics added that navigation is critical to ensure the drone reaches its target area. “We’re dealing with a triad: AI detection and targeting, AI navigation, and communication,” said Olenchyn.

The economics of AI targeting are becoming clearer. Makarchuk estimated that installing simple AI targeting systems costs about $150 per drone—a relatively modest investment if the technology actually works reliably.

Sakharchuk emphasized that no AI system can be successfully deployed on the battlefield without direct interaction with end users and frontline experience. “They all have limitations and application features that are not obvious without training,” he noted.

In March 2024, Sakharchuk highlighted that Ukraine saw the first large-scale use of AI-guided drones. But by June, interest sharply declined. A company had entered the market selling cheap, do-it-yourself kits and software, without offering any training.

While the low price appealed to some units, the systems underperformed due to poor configuration and lack of user understanding.

“When a large number of low-quality systems hit the market, the military saw that the guidance didn’t work. Therefore, interest disappeared,” Sakharchuk explained.

Battlefield performance challenges

Although the race for AI dominance has slowed, battlefield realities dictate priorities.

For Ukraine, AI is only one element of a broader strategy. With fiber-optic networks now spread across the front, ground robots are increasingly taking over frontline roles.

To expand their functions, AI will be crucial, enabling robots to act not only as combat systems but also as “mechanical medics,” reducing casualties while giving Ukraine a tactical edge.

Both sides are pressing ahead with AI development, and some progress is already visible on the battlefield. As one Twist Robotics engineer remarked in 2023, AI-enabled FPV drones are “a poor man’s Javelin.”

Meanwhile, Russia is also evolving its capabilities. Russia is now deploying loitering kamikaze drones equipped with AI and machine learning, allowing them to identify military vehicles on highways and evade interceptor drones.

Recently observed flying in a group of six with distinct wing markings, these drones may be testing swarm coordination, and each carries a large amount of onboard computing power and a 4G modem.

International companies are also jumping into Ukraine’s AI drone market. Czech company LPP Holding has delivered hundreds of AI-powered drones that operate without satellite connection.

“They say we are the first to prove that something like visual navigation can work,” said company co-owner Radim Petrash.

However, cheap tech won’t always be the only solution; more sophisticated technologies will need to be developed. Maria Berlinska, head of the Air Intelligence Support Center, issued a clear warning,

“We’re trying to keep up with low-tech solutions, but cheap, simple technologies are only part of the answer. We need to leap to a qualitatively new level.”

Machine vision is no game changer—yet

Despite early hopes, machine vision has not yet become a game-changing feature on Ukraine’s battlefield FPV drones.

While the technology allows drones to identify and strike targets autonomously, even without pilot contact, its real-world performance has been mixed due to challenges like poor camera quality, difficulty hitting moving targets, and inconsistent software performance.

Heorhii Volkov, commander of the drone unit Yasni Ochi (“Clear Eyes”) of the 13th Khartiia Brigade, noted that AI-assisted targeting often fails in environments like forests, where trees can confuse the AI, and puddles reflecting metallic colors can be misidentified as vehicles.

In one recent operation in Kharkiv Oblast, his team spotted Russian soldiers briefly emerging from a treeline and deployed long-range drones equipped with AI targeting to strike a concealed vehicle. However, the AI was only activated after the initial hit.

In practice, Volkov noted, these systems are most useful when a target is already burning and clearly visible.

“It’s still learning, the technology isn’t ready yet,” he added.

Ukrainian developers continue refining these systems, but military operators often prefer more reliable alternatives like fiber-optic drones, which are better suited to handle jamming and terrain obstacles.

The scalability challenge

In the future, battlefield capabilities will scale dramatically once AI swarms are deployed.

Deploying 700 autonomous interceptors offers far greater scalability than coordinating 700 human pilots. For Ukraine, confronting a larger opponent, leveraging asymmetrical warfare through technologies like AI is essential to offset Russia’s conventional superiority.

“We don’t have as many human resources as Russia, they fight, they die, they send more people, they don’t care, but that’s not how we see war,” said Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine’s deputy minister of digital transformation. “I see this as the future of conflict.”

The 2027 deadline approaches

The race against time is intensifying. As Zaluzhnyi warned, Ukraine faces a critical window: perfect AI warfare capabilities before 2027, or potentially face “totally ruthless” autonomous weapons controlled by adversaries who solved the technological puzzle first.

Kyiv’s technological edge is being driven by volunteer groups that function more like agile software teams than traditional defense contractors. Organizations like Dignitas treat development as a rapid feedback loop, constantly communicating with frontline soldiers to refine and iterate on new tools.

But while volunteers can innovate quickly, staying ahead in the technology race will eventually require greater state support and sustained investment.

The era of autonomous drones may not be fully here yet – but its time will come, especially as Ukraine embraces a “robots first” military strategy.

Whether Ukraine can master these technologies before the 2027 autonomous warfare deadline may determine not only its tactical edge but also set the next stage of the war.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has presented the EU’s proposed 19th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on energy, finance, and military-linked technology. The measures must still be adopted unanimously by EU member states.

Energy: “It is time to turn off the tap”

According to the European Commission, von der Leyen announced a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.

“Russia’s war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels,” she said.

Rosneft and Gazpromneft would face full transaction bans, and 118 new vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet would be blacklisted.

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The package also includes penalties on oil buyers in third countries, including China.

“We are now going after those who fuel Russia’s war by purchasing oil in breach of the sanctions,” she stated.

Finance: crypto and banks under new restrictions

The EU would impose a transaction ban on more Russian banks and banks in third countries. For the first time, crypto platforms would be sanctioned. Transactions in cryptocurrencies and with entities in special economic zones would be restricted.

Military tech and indoctrination networks targeted

The proposal includes new export bans on items used on the battlefield, and sanctions on 45 companies supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Individuals involved in the indoctrination of abducted Ukrainian children would also be sanctioned.

Economy under pressure

“Our economic analysis is clear – our sanctions are severely affecting Russia’s economy,” von der Leyen said. She pointed to a 17% interest rate and high inflation. “Among the first Russian requests is, sanctions relief.”

Using frozen assets to fund Ukraine

Von der Leyen said the EU is preparing a plan to use cash tied to immobilized Russian assets to fund a Reparations Loan for Ukraine.

“Ukraine will only pay back the loan once Russia pays reparations,” she said.

Coordination and call to action

The sanctions will align with G7 measures under Canada’s presidency.

“We want Russia to leave the battlefield and come to the negotiating table,” von der Leyen said. “This is the way to give peace a real chance.”

An astonishing thing happened in Ukraine in September 2025: a Russian advanced half-million-dollar missile was shot down by a hundred-year-old weapon.

A Kyiv air defense volunteer operator stopped the Kh-69 cruise missile with a “Maksim” machine gun used by the Russian Empire and Soviet troops during World War II, UkrInform reports. 

Normally, Kh-69 missiles are intercepted in Ukraine with air-defense missile systems (SAMs) such as the Patriot and other MANPADS and AD systems. Shooting down a Kh-69 is an outstanding result because these missiles are designed to penetrate even high-capacity air-defense systems.

The hero with the call-sign “Hrek” and a weapon from the past

During the morning attack on 7 September, one of the Russian missiles hit the governmental building, and another was heading toward residential areas. Its flight was intercepted by a volunteer with the call-sign “Hrek,” who opened fire with a Maksim machine gun.

“The missile was flying very low, and large air-defense systems find it hard to spot. We requested permission to open fire and acted instantly. Hitting such a target with a ‘Maksim’ is a one-in-a-thousand chance, but we managed it,” the fighter said.

The Maksim machine gun is a heavy-mounted weapon with a liquid-cooled barrel developed in the early 20th century. It has a firing range of about 1,000 metres and an effective range of 2.5–3 km. 

During World War II, the Maksim was used to engage open group targets, support infantry in defense and attack, and be mounted on armoured trains, combat vehicles, and trucks.

Why was this shoot-down unique? 

The Kh-69 was flying at about 50 metres altitude at over 550 km per hour. Equipped with counter-jamming and interception-avoidance systems, it can penetrate even powerful air-defense arrays. In April 2024, a similar missile obliterated the Trypillia thermal power plant in Kyiv Oblast, causing widespread blackouts.

This time, after a series of shots, the missile began to smoke and fell several hundred metres from the positions. There were no casualties; only some cars were damaged.

“If it had hit a densely populated area the consequences would have been serious. Such a missile breaks into tens of sub-munitions,” the volunteer emphasized.

Half a million dollars versus $11

The missile costs about $500,000, while the expenditure on ammunition amounted to only $11.15.

“We spent $11 on rounds,” said Hrek. “But most importantly, he adds, “no one died, children and women remained alive.”

The volunteer serves in the “Legion D” formation of the separate “Center” company, where more than a hundred fighters defend Ukraine.

“When we go on duty, we stand as long as needed. We are here because we can defend and do something for victory,” the machine-gunner concluded.

Earlier, Russia launched a drone attack on Poland from the territory of Ukraine and Belarus. While deploying most modern NATO aircraft, including F-16 and F-35, which Ukraine does not have, the country only managed to down 4 out of 19 drones.

At the same time, Kyiv is capable of intercepting 500-600 Russian targets per night. Still, the country is not a member of the Alliance. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to a war of attrition against Ukraine. In a report published on 18 September, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pushed back against the Kremlin’s narrative, reiterating that Russia’s victory is not inevitable.

Putin’s attrition theory resurfaces

According to the ISW report, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on 18 September that over 700,000 Russian soldiers are on the frontline in Ukraine. Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, a day earlier, said Russian forces are advancing on “practically all fronts”. These statements reflect Putin’s broader theory of victory: that Russia can continue slow advances indefinitely and exhaust Ukraine and the West.

“Putin’s and Gerasimov’s recent statements are part of wider Kremlin efforts to push Ukraine and the West to immediately acquiesce to Putin’s maximalist demands out of fear that a Russian victory is inevitable and that Russian aggression will only increase in the future,” ISW wrote.

ISW highlights mounting Russian weaknesses

ISW assessed that “a Russian victory is not inevitable,” and that Ukraine and the West Єcan leverage several key Russian weaknesses to force Putin to change his calculus and engage in good-faith negotiations.”

Russia’s military gains have come at steep costs. On 9 September, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia suffered 299,210 casualties — killed and wounded — since January 2025. Russia’s slow territorial gains have come with disproportionate losses.

ISW noted that Putin’s economic mismanagement during the war has led to unsustainable spending, inflation, and labor shortages, further undermining the country’s ability to maintain the current pace of war.

US President Donald Trump also commented on 18 September that Russia is incurring more losses than Ukraine and suggested that if oil prices fall, Putin will have to “drop out” of the war. Russian oil revenues continue to play a critical role in funding the Kremlin’s war effort.

Kremlin continues to demand Ukrainian capitulation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated on 18 September that Moscow will only compromise if a peace settlement guarantees Russia’s “legitimate security interests” and those of Russians in Ukraine, ISW reported.

He also claimed that the United States understands the so-called “root causes” of the war. ISW noted that such language has long been used by Russian officials to reinforce original Kremlin demands — demands they seek to achieve either militarily or through pressure disguised as diplomacy.

PepsiCo—the maker of Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos, and Quaker Oats—is criticized for expanding its Russian business and funneling tax money to the Kremlin, even as Moscow drains every possible resource to fuel its war against Ukraine.

A new survey by PissedConsumer.com shows that 82% of consumers are unaware that PepsiCo pays taxes in Russia, supporting the country’s fully militarised budget. Crucially, 68% of respondents said they would stop buying PepsiCo products to protest the company’s role in Russia’s war economy and to pressure it to exit the market. Meanwhile, 75% believe PepsiCo should completely halt operations in Russia and publicly condemn the country’s human rights abuses.

The survey highlights the mounting reputational risks companies like PepsiCo face by chasing marginal profits in Russia—not to mention the financial and legal risks, including potential criminal liability for complicity in war crimes.

The US food and beverage giant made headlines in early 2022 as the company ’pulling out of Russia.’ At the time, PepsiCo announced it would stop advertising, suspend new investments, and cease production of certain beverages in Russia.

However, instead of withdrawing, PepsiCo continued selling rebranded versions of its drinks and even expanded its presence, opening a new megafactory in 2024 that produces 60,000 tons of snacks annually.

According to the latest B4Ukraine report on multinationals still operating in Russia, PepsiCo is the country’s largest food and beverage producer. In 2024, PepsiCo generated $4.5 billion in revenue in Russia and paid $122 million in profit taxes to the criminal Russian government.

That amount is enough to buy around 40 Iskander missiles, according to open-source cost data.

By staying in Russia, PepsiCo normalises the Kremlin’s crimes in the eyes of ordinary Russians. Its profits come at the expense of Ukrainians fighting not just for their survival, but for the rules-based international order from which PepsiCo has long profited.

A boycott is a powerful tool that can force companies to act. But it’s long overdue for G7, EU, and allied countries to address the role their businesses play in Russia today, and how this affects Ukraine’s people and the course of the war. B4Ukraine urges Western governments to incentivize and reward responsible exits, while introducing deterrents—including financial penalties, restrictions on contracts, and exclusion from public procurement—for firms that continue doing business in Russia.

Denys Svyrydenkov

Denys Svyrydenkov is a content creator at the B4Ukraine Coalition, with previous experience at European Pravda and Kyiv School of Economics

Ukrainian drone tech firm Ptashka Systems has presented a new way to counter Russian roadside ambush drones by using interceptor drones that drop nets on them. The system is designed to neutralize so-called “waiting drones” — FPVs that land near logistics routes, switch off their motors, and lie in ambush until a vehicle appears.

This Ptashka Systems’ solution avoids the loss of both Ukrainian drones and ammunition — Ukrainian drone pilots often destroy such roadside ambushes by striking them with their own FPV drones. Ukrainian forces already use nets in limited cases to intercept airborne drones.

Dropped nets disable ambush FPVs

Ptashka Systems published a video showing how its drones can release special cartridges carrying nets directly onto hidden Russian FPVs, waiting on the ground.

Once covered, the ambush drones cannot take off, as the nets block their propellers and render them uncontrollable, Militarnyi noted, adding that the advantage of this approach is that the enemy drone remains stuck in its ambush, forcing its operator to waste time waiting for a target that never comes.

“When the target appears, the net complicates or makes it impossible for the “waiting drone” to take off — it physically cannot rise because its propellers are blocked. This neutralization mechanism makes the drone uncontrollable and disables it,” Militarnyi says.

The developers invited Ukrainian Mavic drone pilots to take part in the effort and announced that Ptashka Systems is ready to provide free cartridges with nets to those operators.