U.S. intelligence officers reportedly assisted in advancing Ukraine's drone capabilities, helping to design a new generation of drones intended to revolutionize modern warfare.
Ukraine has targeted Russia's fossil fuel infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine a key funding source for Russia's war effort.
The bomber drones were created during Russia's full-scale invasion and operate mainly at night. They can also remotely disperse mines or transport ammunition, food, and medicine to Ukrainian positions.
"A rare bird was shot down by anti-aircraft gunners and pilots of the 63rd Brigade — a Russian experimental reconnaissance drone Merlin-VR," the brigade's statement read.
The Ukrainian government in recent months has been aggressively touting fresh developments in its missile-making. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country had built 100 of its own missiles in 2024 as of November. He called for 3,000 “cruise missiles or missile-drones” to be manufactured in 2025. Traditional missiles
Located in Saratov Oblast, over 750 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, Engels airbase is home to Russian heavy bombers.
Sakaliene's statement came shortly after the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported that thousands of drones, which were to be delivered to Ukraine several months ago, are still in Lithuanian warehouses as their delivery is delayed by bureaucratic obstacles.
A drone strike reportedly hit the Taneko oil refinery in Tatarstan, Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported on Jan. 11.
Editor’s note: This story contains scenes and images that some readers might find disturbing. In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. KUPIANSK AREA, Kharkiv Oblast – Snow, sleet, fog, the lot; when the weather
The attack killed 13 people and injured 122, including a child, according to State Emergency Service. Search and rescue operations have now been completed.
As a result of the attack on Jan. 6, two Russian anti-missile Pantsir-S1 systems and one OSA anti-aircraft vehicle were reportedly damaged or destroyed in the occupied part of Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent's source shared a video purporting to show one of the drones hitting gas condensate tanks. One tank was heavily damaged, and three others suffered by explosive debris, they added.
Key developments on Jan. 4 - 5: * Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, mixed reports surface on outcome * Russia launches over 300 drones, 20 missiles at Ukraine in first 3 days of new year, Zelensky says * Russian soldiers near Toretsk disguise as civilians to bypass Ukrainian positions, military
Russian troops launched more than 630 attack drones, around 740 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 50 missiles of various types this week, targeting settlements across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
A total of 49% of the targets were struck by kamikaze drones, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Most of the drones that attacked Leningrad Oblast were shot down over the terminal of Novotrans, a Russian transportation and logistics company.
The Bureau of Industry and Security said on Jan. 2 that the involvement of foreign adversaries in "supply chains, including acute threats from China and Russia – may offer our adversaries the ability to remotely access and manipulate these devices, exposing sensitive U.S. data."
Two Russian helicopters were downed in a recent strike by the Ukrainian-made Magura V5 naval strike drones, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on its Telegram channel. HUR earlier said on Dec. 31 that only one helicopter had been destroyed.
Russia's UAV losses included 35,670 destroyed FPV drones and 1,140 strike drones, the Navy said. Ukrainian units also eliminated 192 operational and tactical drones and another 164 Shahed-136/131 drones.
The National Bank of Ukraine said that one of its buildings in Kyiv's Pechersk District had been damaged by falling debris. The central bank's main building is located near the President's Office on Bankova Street.
Key developments on Dec. 31: * Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian helicopter with anti-air missile in first strike of its kind * Russian attacks damage homes and infrastructure in Kyiv and Sumy oblasts ahead of New Year * Ukraine strikes oil depot in Russia's Smolensk Oblast, General Staff confirms * Russian officers trained for
The depot, which supplied the Russian military, was targeted in a coordinated operation involving Ukraine's Special Operations Forces and the Unmanned Systems Forces.
As Russian troops continued to hold an advantage on the ground, Ukraine has been keen to level the power in the air. In 2024, Ukrainian forces bet on drones, hitting targets thousands of kilometers deep inside Russia. Ukrainian attacks have targeted dozens of oil refineries that aid Russia's war efforts,
Latvia will transfer over 1,000 "combat drones of various types" to Ukraine through the international drone coalition, the country's Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced on social media on Dec. 28.
The domestic drone industry "reached unprecedented production volumes" in 2024, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Dec. 28.
The Dec. 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, likely caused by Russian air defense, shines light on a glaring issue the Kremlin has long swept under the rug. By unleashing its war against Ukraine, Russia has made its airspace a dangerous place. While Ukraine banned civilian flights over its territory hours
The statement did not address the claims that a Russian air defense missile may have downed the Azerbaijani Airlines plane.
Ukraine's General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."
Operations at the airport were suspended at 6 a.m. amid a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting the Russian regions of Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.
"From what we can tell — it's no longer a secret — Ukrainian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles can hypothetically operate up to 2,000 kilometers," military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said.
Debris from an intercepted drone damaged the contact network of a railway in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on Dec. 28, regional Governor Alexander Gusev alleged.
In 2024, Belarus, under dictator Alexander Lukashenko, continued to descend into totalitarianism, imprisoning people at will and providing full-fledged support to Russia in its brutal all-out war. Lukashenko signed a number of bilateral treaties with Russia's Vladimir Putin, helping him facilitate the major East-West prisoner swap that saw spies and
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