Ukraine unveiled a new robotic battlefield platform — a ground drone, capable of transporting over 2 tons of cargo, navigating without GPS, and supporting both logistics and direct combat roles, Ukrainian defense news site Militarnyi reports.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, where aerial drones dominate, robotic ground systems are becoming increasingly common — used in demining, logistics, evacuation, and engineering tasks, ranging from light electric units to heavy diesel-powered machines.
Ukraine presents VATAG heavy robotic ground system
On 16 September 2025, Ukraine officially introduced the VATAG heavy NRK — “robotic ground complex,” a multifunctional platform designed to support troops on the battlefield across a range of tasks. The system can carry more than 2 tons of payload, powered by a hybrid propulsion system that enables autonomous operation and high fuel efficiency, Militarnyi says.
The drone is built to handle a diverse set of missions — from logistics transport and engineering duties to direct participation in combat operations. According to the developers, VATAG’s features include a silent mode for covert missions, the ability to operate as a mobile powerbank for frontline units, and built-in resistance to electronic warfare.
Designed for the battlefield — not just the backend
The VATAG platform goes beyond transport. It integrates armament options, including a proprietary 25 mm combat module revealed alongside the system. This allows the robot to actively support armed engagements, not just logistical functions.
Its architecture reportedly enables autonomous navigation without relying on GPS, using convoy mode and obstacle avoidance to move through contested environments. This allows it to support forces even in areas under heavy jamming or in need of stealth movement. The system’s hybrid power unit improves fuel efficiency.
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The drone reportedly includes software-hardware solutions powered by artificial intelligence that enhance its autonomous capabilities.
Militarnyi says the system was developed by an international robotics and drone company with 11 years of experience, already having a manufacturing base capable of launching full-scale production and adapting components to meet customer requirements rapidly.
“The type of missiles used to shoot them down is their business. But they don’t have as much experience as Ukraine,” Ihnat said.
He proposed hosting training in Lviv or Kraków, noting that Polish and Romanian jets have struggled to intercept the “Gerans” — Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones, which he called “not an easy target, especially for fighter aircraft.”
“For over 40 minutes, two fighter jets couldn’t do anything. They tried, but lost a lot of time,” Ihnat said, recalling a recent Romanian encounter.
Operations like Spiderweb, where 117 drones struck four Russian bases, destroying dozens of bombers, illustrate both the precision and mass Ukraine brings to the battlefield. This “War DevOps” culture—borrowing from software development—lets Ukraine redesign, test, and deploy new drone variants in weeks, sometimes days, far faster than NATO procurement cycles.
Lessons Europe cannot ignore
In these consequences, ignoring Ukraine’s experience might be a strategic error. Drone incursions into Poland and Romania show that Europe’s air defense remains vulnerable. Kyiv’s bottom-up innovation culture—where frontline pilots, instructors, and civilian volunteers constantly refine tactics—offers a model NATO allies should adopt.
Ukraine is already in talks with Denmark, Norway, and Germany to share knowledge, and Zelenskyy has openly proposed a “mega-deal” with the US to transfer Ukraine’s advanced drones in exchange for American weapons.
Today, there is important news from the Sumy direction.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
Ukraine advances into Kursk
Here, Ukrainian forces are advancing into the Kursk region, turning what was once a defensive stand into a renewed cross-border push. These gains now open the path to outflank and encircle Russian positions from the north to crush the already overstretched enemy lines and reshape the dynamics of the entire front.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
A key factor behind this success has been the relentless Ukrainian air strike campaign against Russian reinforcements and command centers across both Sumy and Kursk. This has created openings for Ukrainian ground units to press forward. The Ukrainian Black Swan battalion recently released footage northeast of Kindrativka showing Russian aircraft attempting to bomb new Ukrainian positions, a sign of how far north the battle has shifted.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
Despite Russian air activity, Ukrainian advances in this area underscore the collapse of Russia’s ability to maintain pressure in Sumy, with Ukrainian forces now fighting beyond the settlements that were once planned to serve as a foothold for Russia’s push south.
Drone warfare reshapes the battle
Complementing air strikes, Ukraine’s drone campaign is inflicting devastating damage on Russian positions at the tactical level. Heavy drone platforms like the Vampire hexacopter are proving decisive, flying long-range night missions with payloads up to 20 kilograms. These drones are not just dropping improvised explosives but carrying devastating ordnance, including anti-tank mines and a series of mortar rounds, which complicate Russian attempts to maneuver.
Most notably, Ukrainian engineers working with frontline units have introduced a new drone-dropped munition dubbed the black hole bomb. Developed by the Ukrainian Black Swan unit, the weapon has two confirmed variants. The thermobaric version unleashes a high-temperature blast wave that sucks in surrounding air, annihilating fortifications and suffocating troops caught inside trenches or buildings. The fragmentation variant detonates overhead, scattering lethal shrapnel across wide areas, ideal for clearing entrenched infantry or enemy units on the move.
Combat footage shows these black hole munitions creating huge craters and collapsing Russian firing points, their effect comparable to that of artillery shells but instead delivered with surgical precision from the sky. This innovation allows Ukrainian units to dismantle Russian defenses without waiting for conventional artillery or risking exposure of expensive fighter jets to Russian air defense systems.
Russia’s defense collapses
With Russian forces concentrated in Sumy and stretched thin after weeks of costly attacks and devastating air strikes, Ukrainian commanders have again opted for tactical maneuvers rather than frontal attrition. Instead of smashing head-on into Russia’s lines, they are methodically cutting off isolated groups, collapsing salients piece by piece, and pushing back into Kursk in the process. This strategy takes advantage of the area, where settlements are small, scattered, and dispersed, making it easier to bypass and encircle Russian detachments rather than fight through each one in sequence.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
Ukrainian advances north of Kindrativka and into rural Kursk show this logic in action, turning the international border into little more than a reference line. In practice, the fighting forms a unified battle space where Ukraine’s forces cross back and forth, exploiting Russian vulnerabilities while ignoring state boundaries that no longer reflect realities on the ground.
The result is a steadily deteriorating situation for the Russian command, and what began as an attempt to push into Sumy has now backfired, with Ukraine not only halting the incursion but clawing back ground across the frontier. Russian infantry, deprived of supplies and hammered by Ukrainian air and drone strikes, cannot establish a coherent defense, and by advancing north, Ukraine is opening the possibility of flanking Russian troops still holding pockets of territory in Sumy from behind, threatening their lines of retreat and accelerating their collapse.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
Overall, Ukraine’s steady progress highlights how momentum has shifted from a desperate defensive fight to prevent Russian forces from reaching Sumy city into an operation pushing enemy troops back into Kursk.
Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video.
The border itself is losing meaning in the chaos of battle, and Ukraine is now able to carry the fight onto Russian soil to disrupt the enemy’s remaining footholds. With innovation in drone warfare, effective use of air power, and smart maneuvering, Ukrainian forces are not just defending but are reshaping the frontline to their advantage.
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.
A new Ukrainian military robot is rolling out. Oboronka news site reports that the 4-ton ground drone named “Bufalo” is diesel-powered, armored, and built for AI-assisted frontline logistics and demining.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, dominated by aerial drones, robotic ground platforms are becoming more common on the battlefield. Used for demining, cargo delivery, evacuation, and engineering, they now range from light electric types to new heavy diesel models. Bufalo, developed by an undisclosed Ukrainian company, enters this heavier category.
Bufalo: Ukraine’s new diesel-driven ground drone for war
Bufalo’s key advantage is its diesel engine. Fuel tanks can be scaled by mission, giving it a range of 100–200 km without battery swaps. Developers say electric drones can’t meet today’s longer frontlines.
“Electric drones cannot cover the distance to deliver provisions and ammunition to the front,” said company head Vladyslav.
Built for real combat conditions
Bufalo’s chassis is armored with European steel. It withstands any bullet and indirect 152 mm artillery if shells land beyond 100 meters. Even if damaged, its wheels remain operational.
The drone uses Starlink with GPS or a radio link for communications. A CRPA antenna protects satellite signal from jamming. If Starlink fails or is disabled, a relay-equipped drone can take over the signal.
It weighs about 4 tons, moves up to 20 km/h, and stays low to the ground for stealth. Its engine is powerful enough to haul cargo or tow stuck vehicles—cutting time and risk for troops.
AI-driven navigation, but no killer robot
Bufalo uses onboard cameras to detect obstacles up to 15 meters away, suggest safe routes, and stop if needed. Navigation is assisted by AI, but decisions stay human-controlled.
“The robot can lock onto and follow a target, but it will not make decisions to destroy equipment or people. I will never allow it to make decisions in place of a human…” said Vladyslav.
From failure to battlefield resilience
The idea for Bufalo came after a drone prototype failed a demo—losing a wheel and flipping. A soldier dismissed the tech, pushing Vladyslav to start from scratch. His new team asked the General Staff for requirements and collected feedback from frontline units.
Requests included smoke grenades, armored wheels, a shielded bottom to resist mines, and Starlink integration. All were implemented.
Bufalo 4-ton ground drone deploying smoke during trials in open terrain. The armored chassis and low profile are clearly visible. Photo via mezha.media
Timeline and domestic focus
The Bufalo project launched in January 2025. From March to August, the team built and tested the demining version. That kit includes the drone, a hydraulic system, mulcher, control panel, and trailer.
Developers say Bufalo is 70% Ukrainian-made, using domestic electronics and optics. The rest comes from EU suppliers. Price details remain undisclosed.
What’s next for Bufalo?
Bufalo is modular and may get combat features soon. The team is exploring weapon modules and engineering tools like remote trenching scoops. An 11-channel radio jamming system has passed tests and is ready for integration.
“We’re building an infrastructurally simple drone, so one control system can be removed and another installed. We’ve made understandable communication interfaces. The EW manufacturer just needs to provide a connector—we’ll plug it in and it’ll work automatically,” said Vladyslav.
The team plans an official presentation, followed by codification and production. Initial output will be 10 drones per month, with plans to scale.
Ukraine confirmed on 14 September that its drone forces shot down a rare heavy Russian Orion UAV near the border in Kursk Oblast. The Orion is a cruise missile-capable heavy combat drone, rarely used by Moscow due to its limited availability and vulnerability to Ukrainian air defense, Militarnyi reports.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia has steadily intensified its aerial attacks against Ukraine. With conventional air defense systems gradually depleting, Ukraine has been forced to innovate—developing interceptor drones to counter the threat. These drone-versus-drone tactics rely on deploying multiple UAVs to target both low-flying, small drones and larger, faster drones operating at higher altitudes.
Ukrainian drone units intercept rare Orion UAV
According to the Commander of Ukraine’s Drone Systems Forces, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, the 414th Separate Drone Systems Brigade successfully destroyed the Russian Orion drone using an interceptor UAV. This marked the first time the brigade brought down an Orion model, despite having previously intercepted nearly 1,500 enemy drones. These included various types such as Orlan, ZALA, SuperCam, Shahed, and Lancet, with larger targets like Merlin and Forpost among the most significant until now.
OSINT experts geolocated the interception site to the area around Tyotkino, in Kursk Oblast, Russia, just next to the Ukrainian border. The coordinates were confirmed as 51.2862, 34.3813. This location lies just across the border from Ukrainian territory.
A coordinated strike by multiple Ukrainian units
Before the final blow, the Orion UAV had already sustained damage from interceptor drones operated by Ukraine’s 95th Air Assault Brigade. The final strike was delivered by the Ptakhy Madyara team of the 414th brigade.
The Russian military has rarely deployed Orion drones in combat due to both their limited numbers and high susceptibility to Ukraine’s layered air defense network, Militarnyi noted.
Background on the Orion drone program
The Orion UAV was developed by the Kronstadt Group beginning in 2011. The first prototype was completed in 2015, with operational testing drones handed over in April 2020. Serial production began in August 2020.
The Orion drone has a wingspan of around 16 meters, a length of about 8 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of roughly 1.2 tons, and a payload capacity of up to 200 kg. It can reach altitudes up to 7 km and fly continuously for up to 24 hours, with a range of 1,000–1,500 km.
Russia’s Orion heavy drone. Photo via Telegram/Madyar.
According to Militarnyi, Orion can be armed with guided munitions including Kh-50 missiles, KAB-20 bombs, and other types such as UPAB-50, KAB-50, FAB-50, and the Kh-BPLA missile. It is also capable of launching the compact S8000 Banderol cruise missile.
Only nine confirmed losses of Orion drones have occurred since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, according to Oryx blog.
Ukraine has struck the same Russian fuel facility for the second time in a week. The long-range drone attack targeted the Vtorovo pumping station, a critical node in Russia’s internal fuel infrastructure. Video of the surfaced on Ukrainian Telegram channels on 12 September. It is unclear if the strike took place on the same day or earlier.
The attack is part of Ukraine’s strategic campaign of deep strikes inside Russia, targeting the oil processing and transportation facilities. A wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on multiple Russian oil refineries has already triggered a fuel crisis. In response, Russian authorities imposed a full ban on gasoline exports, aiming to contain domestic shortages.
Kyiv hits Vtorovo hub again
The video, shared by Telegram channel Supernova+, shows Ukrainian long-range drone Liutyi struck the Vtorovo pumping station, located in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast, for the second time since 7 September.
Ukrainian OSINT project Cyberboroshno analyzed the footage of the impact and concluded that the strike directly affected the overpass infrastructure carrying key operational systems.
According to Cyberboroshno’s analysis, the drone hit a technical overpass structure at the station, damaging pipeline segments, signal cables, and power lines.
The station is owned by the company Verkhnevolzhsknefteprodukt, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned pipeline monopoly Transneft. It serves as an intermediate pumping point on the route from Vtorovo to Tuma and then to Ryazan, supporting diesel and aviation fuel transportation.
Russia’s Vtorovo fuel pumping station is located more than 600 km from Ukraine. Map: Google Maps.
Vtorovo plays a critical role in maintaining pressure and flow within Russia’s main fuel pipeline network. It contains reserve tanks for operational stock and helps stabilize supply toward the Ryazan oil refinery. The station also oversees the eastern segment of the system, connecting the Upper Volga region with Ryazan.
Any disruption at this site can have immediate effects on fuel delivery to central Russia, including the Moscow area and its aviation infrastructure.
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First strike on 7 September
The first drone strike occurred on 7 September, when UAVs from Ukraine’s 14th regiment of unmanned systems hit the Vtorovo facility. Satellite imagery reviewed by Dnipro OSINT showed visible damage to two fuel reserve tanks. These tanks were part of the system used to maintain pipeline pressure and flow stability.
Following the 7 September attack, the commander of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Unmanned Systems, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), hinted at its impact.
“Fuel in Moscow is a bit glitchy, they say,” he noted, referencing damage to the Vtorovo pumping station and its link to the Moscow Ring Petroleum Products Pipeline.
Astra has identified the Russian ship hit in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian aerial long-range drone on 10 September as Spasatel Ilyin. The captain was hospitalized with shrapnel injuries. Ukraine’s intelligence confirmed earlier today that the vessel was damaged and disabled.
The attack happened near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the eastern Black Sea, some 400 km from the frontline. With up to one-third of its Black Sea Fleet destroyed in occupied Crimea, Russia previously moved the rest to Novorossiysk and other remote ports.
Spasatel Ilyin confirmed as the target
According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, a Ukrainian drone struck Spasatel Ilyin, an MPSV07-class vessel, near Yuzhnaya Ozereevka during the day on 10 September. The drone hit the ship’s bridge, injuring the captain, Roman Goroshkov. He was hospitalized with multiple wounds.
Local authorities did not acknowledge the incident. The mayor only reported drone debris allegedly hitting a non-residential building near the city and denied any casualties.
Astra linked the ship’s identity to fleet records, noting that Spasatel Ilyin was the only vessel of its class based in Novorossiysk.
Ship disabled, systems destroyed
On the morning of 11 September, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said that Russia’s Russian Black Sea Fleet ship was struck near Novorossiysk. According to the report, the drone destroyed the ship’s navigation, communication, and electronic reconnaissance systems. The vessel was declared disabled and in need of expensive repairs.
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Vessel used for reconnaissance
Though officially listed as a civilian rescue vessel, Spasatel Ilyin was reportedly used for military and intelligence purposes. It was equipped with sonar, diving systems, and electronic surveillance tools, according to HUR.
In his 10 September evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a united, coordinated air defense strategy to protect Europe’s skies, warning that Russia’s escalating drone warfare now targets not only Ukraine but NATO territory itself.
This came as a Russian drone incursion into Poland occurred overnight on 10 September, during a massive UAV and missile assault on Ukraine. Over a dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Unlike past incidents—when NATO forces allowed drones to crash or return—this marked the first confirmed shootdown of Russian drones on NATO territory by allied aircraft.
Ukraine proposes joint air defense as Russia tests NATO skies
Zelenskyy said more than 400 Russian drones—mostly Shahed explosive UAVs—and over 40 missiles struck Ukraine the previous night. Most were intercepted, but damage was still inflicted across multiple oblasts, including hits on residential homes and infrastructure.
According to him, Ukrainian forces began tracking drone movements from 1 a.m. on 10 September, as they crossed into Polish airspace from both Ukrainian and Belarusian directions.
“This movement was not an accident or a mistake – it was deliberate,” he said. “Almost two dozen drones entered Poland, and it seems that less than half of the total number came from the Ukrainian side,” he added, implying that the rest flew in from Belarus, Russia’s ally.
Calling it a “calculated Russian activity,” Zelenskyy warned that the incursion was designed to probe allied red lines:
“The Russians are testing the limits of what is possible. They are testing reactions. They are watching closely how NATO armed forces act.”
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Kyiv offers tech, training, and intelligence to shield Europe
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had offered Poland support in responding to the drone breach.
“We are ready to assist with technology, crew training, and the necessary intelligence.” He stressed that only united European forces can offer real protection. “Ukraine proposes to defend airspace in a coordinated, thoughtful and joint manner. We have presented to our partners how this can be achieved.”
He stated that the proposal includes clear mechanisms to stop Russia’s escalation and prevent the war from expanding.
“The details are clear – how to prevent the war from expanding and how to stop Russia’s escalatory steps.”
He also announced upcoming defense meetings between Ukrainian and Polish defense officials.
“I instructed our military to present all the experience we have in countering drones,” Zelenskyy said.
Kremlin uses Belarus, drones, and disinfo to destabilize
Zelenskyy said Russia’s joint drills with Belarus, Zapad 2025, starting on 12 September, could be linked to this latest escalation.
“Joint Russian–Belarusian exercises have now begun on Belarusian territory. And this may well be part of their ‘training plan’, so to speak.”
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He added that Moscow was simultaneously conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at sowing division between Poland and Ukraine.
“We see how the Russians are trying to humiliate Poland.”
He warned that the number of drones entering NATO airspace could grow if the alliance continues to respond passively.
“No one can guarantee that there won’t be hundreds of drones if there are already dozens.”
Strength is the only language Russia understands
Zelenskyy emphasized that only force will make Moscow reconsider its strategy.
“Russia only listens to strength and takes only the strong into account.”
He urged Ukraine’s allies, especially the United States, to respond with action, not just statements.
“We are very much counting on a strong response from the United States.”
NATO is experiencing “Boiled Frog Syndrome”—failing to notice or react to gradual, harmful changes until it’s too late.
On 9-10 September 2025, 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace in the largest violation yet. This “unprecedented” incident will change nothing.
Russia has waged systematic hybrid warfare against NATO for three years, including terrorism, assassinations, sabotage, cyberattacks, and repeated airspace violations.
NATO has utterly failed to respond, emboldening further Russian aggression.
Inaction is escalation.
The latest incident
Around 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace during the night of 9-10 September 2025. Ukraine reports that “several dozen” Russian drones moved along the Ukraine-Belarus border and across western regions of Ukraine, “approaching targets on Ukrainian territory and, apparently, on Polish territory.”
The violation lasted over six hours: first drone entered around 21:30 GMT on Tuesday, with the last violation occurring around 04:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The telling comparison: Ukraine downs 87.4% of Russian long-range drones. Poland only shot down 17-21% of the drones that entered its airspace.
The aftermath of the Russian attack on Poland overnight on 10 September. Credit: the Polsat News
Was this deliberate?
While Russia has denied intentions to target Poland, many Western officials and NATO members have deemed the breach deliberate and escalatory. Poland sees it as “an act of aggression“, and commentators labelled it a test of alliance resolve and an attempt to strain NATO’s air-defence readiness.
Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski said that the drones “did not veer off course” but deliberately targeted Poland, as he called out “lies and denials” from Russia.
His assessment is supported by the drones entering from Belarus, which, as such, were not part of the complex strike package targeting Ukraine. The scale and coordination of the incursion—far larger than any previous incidents—further support the view.
Irrespective of whether this was a deliberate provocation or not, Russia fully understood the risks connected to missile and drone attacks in the close vicinity of NATO territory and still chose to carry out the strikes.
NATO’s limited response
Prime Minister Donald Tusk invoked Article 4, launching NATO consultations.
It means that Poland considers its territorial integrity, political independence, or security threatened and is launching a consultation mechanism to discuss its security concerns within the North Atlantic Council. This could pave the way for joint NATO action, but it does not necessitate it.
Article 4 has been invoked only 8 times since NATO’s establishment in 1949; five were triggered by Türkiye. Poland previously invoked it in March 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Crimea.
In 2022, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia triggered Article 4 over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and concerns over potential threats to NATO’s eastern flank and possible Russian spillover. As a result, the Alliance dramatically increased its forward presence, activated defense plans, and boosted air policing missions in the east.
But this incident does not constitute significant escalation. It represents one incident in a far too long list of Russian attacks and provocations spanning the last 1,295 days of systematic hybrid warfare.
Russia’s systematic hybrid warfare campaign
Since 2022, Russia has waged a comprehensive hybrid war against Europe. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on 30 January 2025, stressing that “hybrid warfare tactics employed by the Russian Federation through cyber-attacks, arson, disinformation campaigns and sabotage further threaten European security.”
Russia’s acts of malignant activities include:
(1) Terrorism. The EU recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism based on its illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, including indiscriminate attacks against residential areas and civilian infrastructure, summary executions, abductions, sexual violence, torture and other atrocities, and its targeting of Ukrainian critical infrastructure all over the country to terrorize the population and cut access to gas, electricity, water, the internet and other basic goods and services.
This designation also reflects Russia’s responsibility for the global food security crisis, its threats to the safety and security of the whole European continent and the rules-based international order through efforts to undermine the security and safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and threats of using nuclear weapons, as well as Russia’s persistent threats to employ “military-technical measures” in response to Europe’s support for Ukraine, and Russia’s weaponizing energy as a tool of geopolitical coercion.
(2) Assassinations. Russia planned to murder Armin Papperger, the CEO of a powerful German arms manufacturer. Sources said the assassination attempt was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defence industry executives across Europe who support Ukraine’s military efforts.
(3) Sabotage. Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has significantly intensified sabotage against European countries that support Ukraine. Key statistics:
Attacks on critical infrastructure quadrupled in 2023 and tripled in 2024 to 30 attacks
IISS counted 11 suspected Russian-backed hybrid attacks in Europe between January and May 2025
Targets include undersea cables, warehouses, and railroad networks across Europe
(4) Arson.Russian intelligence has been linked to a coordinated campaign of arson attacks across multiple European countries, particularly targeting commercial and symbolic facilities. Regional security agencies and NATO have raised alarms over a series of suspicious fires in warehouses, shops, and transport infrastructure—suspected to be part of a synchronized sabotage campaign by Russian proxies. This includes arson attacks in the UK, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, and Poland.
(5) Underwater warfare. Russia attacks pipelines and data cables in the Baltic and interferes with water supplies in Sweden and Finland. At the other end of the scale, Russian spy sensors were recently uncovered in the sea around the UK, which are believed to have been installed to track the movements of the British nuclear submarines.
Russia has long begun preparing for a war with NATO. This strategy involves monitoring and laying the groundwork for possible sabotage of underwater infrastructure. “There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic… We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity.”
(6) Navigation warfare. European countries “have raised concerns to international transport organisations over sharp increases in GPS and signal jamming and spoofing in recent months as well as an increase in Russian electronic warfare (EW) installations in border areas.” Key impact:
Russian GPS jamming affected 122,600 flights over northern Europe in the first four months of 2025 alone
A joint report by Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland concludes this poses a serious threat to international aviation safety
(7) Cyberattacks.Russian hackers have intensified their attacks against the UK and other NATO allies providing military aid to Ukraine. Russia has targeted the media, telecommunications, political and democratic institutions, and energy infrastructure. Russia systematically conducts cyberattacks 48 hours before physical missile strikes.
(8) Information warfare. A recent Polish report highlighted a deliberate Russian strategy of undermining trust in democratic institutions, NATO, and the EU. Polish analysts estimated Russia spends $2–4 billion annually on information operations, framing them as a systematic, multi-channel campaign.
(9) Election interference. “Russia leads the charge in spreading fake articles and videos aimed at influencing the US presidential election,” a statement from the National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said. On 6 December 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, due to a coordinated foreign manipulation effort.
(10) Maritime violations. Russia actively restricts freedom of navigation, particularly in strategic maritime zones like the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and parts of the Arctic, often using military pressure, administrative controls, or hybrid tactics.
Russia frequently uses “Notice to Mariners” (NOTMARs) and similar maritime advisories—such as Navigational Warnings (NAVWARNs)—as means, often in ways that exceed international legal norms. These actions challenge international maritime law, especially the principles set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—even though Russia is a signatory.
(11) Airspace violations. Romania has detected Russian drones within its borders repeatedly. Only Belarus—Moscow’s ally—attempts to shoot down drones. Moldova, Romania, Poland, and Lithuania have all failed to intercept drones.
NATO’s utter failure
In September 2021, the EU Parliament concluded Russia is waging hybrid war against EU and NATO members. No NATO member has invoked Article 4 over this systematic campaign.
While NATO acknowledges cyberattacks can trigger Article 5, it refuses to act on Russia’s campaign of terrorism, assassinations, sabotage, arson, infrastructure attacks, navigation warfare, cyberattacks, information warfare, election interference, maritime violations, and repeated airspace violations.
The Alliance has utterly failed to deter Russian aggression. NATO failed to act when war started in 2014, failed again in 2022, and during The Hague Summit even delayed introducing 5% defense budget requirements to 2035—5-8 years after it might be at war with Russia.
Russia has succeeded in cognitive warfare, pacifying the world’s strongest military alliance through fear that action might trigger broader confrontation. The confrontation is already taking place.
The solution
Reactions to Russian aggression will not escalate the war. NATO’s failure to respond has shown that inaction escalates the war. Appeasement fuels aggressor risk-taking, increasing the chances of strategic miscalculations that lead to World Wars.
To ensure strategic clarity and secure NATO territory, the Alliance should:
Invoke Article 5 based on Russia’s hybrid war campaign and consequently mobilize its defense industrial base, accelerate rearming and rebuilding military power, and prepare society for possible war with Russia.
Immediately close the sky over Western Ukraine to stop Russian missiles and drones from approaching NATO territory.
Deploy military forces to Ukrainian cities and ports to stop Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians and crucial infrastructure—health and medical facilities, schools and kindergartens, energy and water infrastructure.
Unfortunately, NATO lacks the courage to stop Russian aggression. This drone “attack” will mark yet another step on the escalation ladder as the Alliance remains trapped in “Boiled Frog Syndrome.”
Hans Petter Midttun, independent analyst on hybrid warfare, Non-Resident Fellow at the Centre for Defense Strategies, board member of the Ukrainian Institute for Security and Law of the Sea, former Defense Attaché of Norway to Ukraine, and officer (R) of the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Editor’s note. The opinions expressed in our Opinion section belong to their authors. Euromaidan Press’ editorial team may or may not share them.
Ukrainian defense tech CEO Yaroslav Azhnyuk delivered a stark warning to Western allies at Thursday’s defense cooperation forum in Lviv: hearing wake-up calls about Russian threats isn’t the same as waking up.
Speaking at the “Joint Ventures, Joint Defence” forum in Lviv, Azhnyuk challenged fundamental Western assumptions about Ukrainian innovation and military preparedness that could leave NATO vulnerable to the same threats now devastating Ukrainian forces.
Western armies sleep through drone revolution
“We live in many lies that we take for granted,” Azhnyuk told the defense technology audience. One of the most dangerous delusions: Western armies planning for future readiness while, if not ignoring current battlefield realities, then at least not taking them as seriously as they should.
According to Azhnyuk, 60-70% of Ukrainian casualties now come from FPV drones, yet virtually no EU or NATO units train with this battlefield-dominant technology.
“How many units in Western armies have units that have been trained to use them?” Azhnyuk asked rhetorically. “None at all or such a tiny percentage that we need a microscope to see it?”
Azhnyuk said that instead of getting prepared now, Western armies set readiness targets for 2027, 2029, or even 2031 for technology that’s being used in the battlefields today and will be redundant in a couple of years.
Azhnyuk speaks from direct experience. His companies—thermal camera manufacturer Odd Systems and AI firm TheFourthLaw.ai—develop technologies Western militaries are still planning to adopt.
Odd Systems produces Kurbas cameras, currently the world’s best 256-pixel thermal imaging systems for mass-manufactured FPV drones—technology born from battlefield necessity, not laboratory planning.
Ukraine isn’t the testing ground—Russia should be
Azhnyuk challenged another Western assumption: Ukraine is a “test ground” for defense technology.
“Russia should be that test field!” he declared, arguing that authoritarian threats from Russia and China will continue expanding without fundamental changes in Western strategic thinking, which is very cautious and slow to adapt to new realities.
The CEO also dismissed claims that Ukrainian innovations represent “low-tech” solutions with a pointed analogy: “An FPV drone is like a burger—you can assemble it in your kitchen, just like you can make a hamburger in your kitchen. Still, your kitchen-made hamburger isn’t McDonald’s.”
But that doesn’t mean the homemade version lacks the same components, Azhnyuk explained. The difference lies merely in packaging and marketing, not technological sophistication.
He noted that Ukrainian innovations use the same components and assembly methods as Western systems.
The gap isn’t in innovation but in scale and battlefield validation.
Market reality vs production hype
The latter reveals harsh realities: while there are hundreds, if not hundreds, of FPV drone producers operating globally, when asked, the frontline drone operators consistently identify only 4-5 reliable producers despite the theoretically crowded market.
Azhnyuk noted that the fact that only a handful of producers make reliable equipment tells us yet again about the differences between theory and praxis, between the laid-back attitude of many Western companies and the we-needed-it-yesterday feverish attitude of the Ukrainian producers, who work in a tight feedback loop with the men and women on the front.
Beyond military: Strategic blindness everywhere
Azhnyuk’s critique extended beyond military preparedness to broader Western strategic thinking. He cited European data protection claims while companies rely on Google Cloud services that may not comply with European laws.
He warned of upcoming election cycles that would bring “Russian-influenced and financed radical parties” to power across the West while military capability gaps persist.
The uncomfortable truth
The “Joint Ventures, Joint Defence” forum, organized by Tech Force in UA, brought together governments, global defense companies, and technology innovators to explore scaling joint defense production partnerships with Ukraine. The event featured booths from seven partner countries seeking drone and high-tech cooperation opportunities.
But Azhnyuk’s message cut deeper than partnership mechanics. Europeans constantly speak of various crises as “wake-up calls,” he observed, but there’s a critical difference: “Hearing a wake-up call is not the same as waking up.”
Ukrainian drones struck several targets across Russia in the early hours of 28 August, causing fires at two oil refineries and disrupting rail traffic. Confirmed attacks hit the Kuibyshevsky refinery in the city of Samara about 1,000 km from the frontlines, the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai around 300 km behind the lines, and a locomotive depot in Petrov Val, Volgograd Oblast. A railway station in Samara Oblast was also reportedly targeted, leading to service delays.
The latest wave of Ukrainian daily drone attacks highlights Kyiv’s continued effort to strike critical Russian infrastructure deep behind the front line. Lately, Ukrainian attacks focused on Russia’s oil processing capabilities and railway logistics.
Strike hits Samara’s Kuibyshevsky refinery
According to Russian Telegram news channel Astra and Ukrainian Exilenova+, a drone attack caused fires at the Kuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara in the early hours of 28 August. Both channels shared footage of the attack and the subsequent fires.
Local residents began reporting UAV flights over the city and explosions near the facility shortly after 03:00. According to bothchannels, initial confusion led many locals to believe the Novokuibyshevsky refinery had been hit again after an attack weeks ago.
Exilenova+ posted follow-ups referencing public speculation about the number of drones involved, writing that “the excited local crowd counted 17 drones, lost count.” The same channel later claimed, without confirmation, that both the Kuibyshevsky and Novokuibyshevsky refineries had been struck.
In response to the attack, the governor of Samara Oblast announced temporary flight restrictions at Samara airport and mobile internet outages “for citizens’ safety.” Emergency services and air defense systems were reportedly activated during the incident.
Afipsky refinery also targeted in Krasnodar Krai
Exilenova+ alsosharedfootage of fires at on the Afipsky oil refinery in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. Russian authorities confirmed the attack, but attributed damage to “falling drone debris” that caused a fire at one of the refinery’s units in the settlement of Afipsky.
The attack affected a gas and condensate processing unit, previously targeted in earlier strikes, according to Exilenova’s geolocation of the footage. The channel geolocated and published video evidence of the fire. Emergency crews were deployed to the scene, with 21 personnel and eight vehicles extinguishing the 20-square-meter blaze. Officials stated there were no casualties.
Petrov Val train depot attacked again
The city of Petrov Val in Volgograd Oblast experienced a repeat drone strike, just five days after a previous attack on 23 August. Exilenova+ sharedvideos showing fires at the facility, claiming the attack targeted the TChE-7 locomotive depot. According to Astra, a drone impact led to a fire at one of the technical buildings of the depot in the city. Governor Bocharov stated that the fire was quickly extinguished and that there were no injuries.
In addition to refinery and depot attacks, drones reportedly also targeted Kryazh station in Samara Oblast. Astra quoted Kuybyshev Railway as saying that drone debris damaged the contact network between Kryazh and Lipiahy stations.
The incident led to train disruptions: six long-distance and four suburban trains were delayed, with the maximum delay reaching 2 hours and 14 minutes. Three suburban trains were canceled.
Russia claims 102 drones downed overnight
Despite the widespread damage, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its air defenses destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to the ministry, 22 drones were intercepted over the Black Sea, 21 each over Rostov and Samara oblasts, 18 over Krasnodar Krai, 11 over occupied Crimea, three each over Voronezh and Saratov oblasts, two over Volgograd Oblast, and one over the Sea of Azov.
As always, the Russian ministry’s claims have not been independently verified.
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