Ukraine

A group of brainy volunteers in Kyiv producing drones for deployment by Ukraine’s army against Russian invaders have added trashed e-cigarette batteries to their mix of DYI materials being used in support the nation’s defense.

In case anyone needed additional proof of just how grim and merciless the invasion of Ukraine has become, contributors to a few Reddit subreddits have helpfully provided new evidence. Yesterday, a video was posted featuring footage from a purported Ukraine drone as it hovers over, then drops a grenade near a Russian soldier as he tries to empty his bowels – immediately generating bountiful commentary, none of it sympathetic.

Despite initial Russian claims that an oil refinery that burst into flames after being struck by two “terrorist” drones of purported Ukraine origin, rising speculation – backed by some visual support – suggests the kamikaze UAVs may have been bought for several thousand dollars on the Chinese marketplace Alibaba. If so, that kind of procurement and deployment should get people thinking in a variety of ways.

In what represents yet another unexpected consequence of a war Moscow incorrectly believed would be a quick walk in the park, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is provoking the depletion of the nation’s supply of commercial drones, and sparking a correspondingly steep rise in prices for those that remain.

Ukraine’s 47th Motorized Infantry Battalion has released a video that shows Ukrainian troops using a drone armed with thermal cameras and bombs to hunt down Russian soldiers at night.

A 15-year-old amateur pilot in Ukraine has provided an excellent example of how consumer drones have become one of the worst – and deadliest ­– nightmares for Russian armed forces seeking to conquer the country, according to a report detailing the teen’s role in the destruction of a convoy advancing on Kyiv.

Score it another “not independently confirmed” tale flowing from Vladimir Putin’s self-inflicted nightmare. Video has arisen of a hovering Ukraine drone being given the finger by an ill-advisedly smug Russian soldier, whose unit is purportedly soon blasted from above by dropped munitions. So much for sneering defiance.

This week we got the long-awaited reveal of the Mini 3 Pro from DJI, and orders are already getting delayed into June and August. So catch up on the rest of the top stories while you sip on your Monday coffee.

DJI’s status as by far the biggest seller of consumer and enterprise drones on the planet means its UAVs are logically flown most by Ukraine pilots battling Russian invaders. But might that domination change if those operators turn to what they consider safer gear?

New video evidence of how smaller drones are significantly strengthening Ukraine’s efforts to repel invading Russian forces has surfaced showing a self-made UAV using simple grenades to take out a $3 million Russian tank.

With diabetes patients in Ukraine’s conflict zones cut off from insulin supplies, drones are being roped in to deliver life-saving medication to the people who need it the most.

In addition to the large influx of both military-grade and consumer UAVs from abroad to Ukraine forces battling Russian troops, Kiev will soon take delivery of specialized UK heavy-lift cargo drones that have been tested by the British Navy in various scenarios.

The world’s largest drone manufacturer, DJI, says it will temporarily suspend all business activities in Russia and Ukraine “in light of current hostilities.” This move makes DJI the first Chinese company to pull out of Russia since the country launched its invasion of Ukraine two months ago.

Despite the long and often controversial use of military UAVs in wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, the prevalence and performance in Ukraine of drones – this time, the consumer variety – have been both a surprise and often determining factor in local forces repelling invading Russian forces. Indeed, some experts now believe the results of store-bought drones as well as military-grade craft are forcing reconsideration of decades old military strategies about waging war.

US security and defense company AeroVironment is upping its assistance to forces in Ukraine battling Russia’s invasion by donating more than 100 of its Quantrix Recon drones for intelligence gathering and monitoring movement of enemy troops.

Despite the intense and increasingly deadly invasion of their country by Russia, defense forces in Ukraine haven’t lost their sense of humor, and are now using it to mock the reputedly formidable Russian Orlan-10 drone as a DIY assemblage of foreign parts.

Last weekend, one of Europe’s top consumer electronics chains, MediaMarkt, decided to stop the sales of DJI drones amid allegations that the Chinese company was supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine. While DJI promptly dismissed those claims as “utterly false” on social media Friday, the tech giant has now released a statement explaining that its business partner was forced to remove DJI products from its shelves for security reasons as it had become a target of online attacks.

According to company lore, CEO Blake Resnick developed BRINC’s Lemur drone to assist law enforcement and security services in responding to the kinds of horror he witnessed during the 2017 Mandalay Bay shootings in his Las Vegas hometown – a helping hand the precocious tech boss is now extending to Ukraine rescue workers grappling with the nightmare inflicted by invading Russian troops. 

Draganfly says it is readying critical lifesaving drones for deployment with Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU), a non-profit organization focusing on medical response and rehabilitation of injured troops in Ukraine. While 10 medical drone delivery platforms and search and rescue drones will be dispatched by the Canada-based UAV manufacturer immediately, the initial order size can go up to 200 units, the company says. In addition, Draganfly will be donating three drone systems to RSU.

Aerorozvidka, a dedicated drone unit within the Ukrainian army, is leveraging Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system to hunt and attack the Russian forces “as they sleep.”

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entering week four, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on DJI founder and CEO Frank Wang to “end any relationships” with the aggressor country. Insisting that Russian troops are using DJI’s products to navigate missiles to kill Ukrainian civilians, the minister has urged the Chinese tech giant to “block all DJI products” purchased and activated in Russia, Syria, and Lebanon.