The war in Ukraine is spurring a revolution in drone warfare using AI
In an open test field in rural Ukraine, a drone equipped with a bomb lost connection with its human operator — but instead of crashing to the ground, the drone accelerated toward its target and destroyed it.
The drone avoided the fate of thousands of other uncrewed aircraft in this war by relying on new artificial intelligence software that accounts for the electronic interference now commonly deployed by Russia. AI capabilities help the drone complete its mission even if its target moves, representing a significant upgrade from existing drones that track specific coordinates.
Such AI technology, under development by a growing number of Ukrainian drone companies, is one of several innovative leaps underway in Kyiv’s drone market that are accelerating and democratizing the lethality of unmanned warfare — especially crucial for Ukraine’s outgunned military, which is fighting a better-equipped Russian enemy.
Read the full story here.
In an open test field in rural Ukraine, a drone equipped with a bomb lost connection with its human operator — but instead of crashing to the ground, the drone accelerated toward its target and destroyed it.
The drone avoided the fate of thousands of other uncrewed aircraft in this war by relying on new artificial intelligence software that accounts for the electronic interference now commonly deployed by Russia. AI capabilities help the drone complete its mission even if its target moves, representing a significant upgrade from existing drones that track specific coordinates.
Such AI technology, under development by a growing number of Ukrainian drone companies, is one of several innovative leaps underway in Kyiv’s drone market that are accelerating and democratizing the lethality of unmanned warfare — especially crucial for Ukraine’s outgunned military, which is fighting a better-equipped Russian enemy.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is seeking to boost ties with African leaders at a St. Petersburg summit, told his visitors that Russia could replace Ukrainian grain, “both on a commercial basis and free of charge to the most needy countries in Africa.”
- Ukrainian officials say the military launched a new push against Russian lines, achieving some gains in the south, The Post reported.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city of Dnipro as Kyiv pushed ahead with its counteroffensive farther south.
- Russia’s defense minister handed a letter from President Vladimir Putin to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported.
- Odessa’s governor said Russian forces hit port infrastructure in the Black Sea region in an overnight missile attack.
- Ukraine’s counteroffensive is not a stalemate but is not progressing as quickly as hoped, according to U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is seeking to boost ties with African leaders at a St. Petersburg summit, told his visitors that Russia could replace Ukrainian grain, “both on a commercial basis and free of charge to the most needy countries in Africa.”
- Ukrainian officials say the military launched a new push against Russian lines, achieving some gains in the south, The Post reported.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city of Dnipro as Kyiv pushed ahead with its counteroffensive farther south.
- Russia’s defense minister handed a letter from President Vladimir Putin to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported.
- Odessa’s governor said Russian forces hit port infrastructure in the Black Sea region in an overnight missile attack.
- Ukraine’s counteroffensive is not a stalemate but is not progressing as quickly as hoped, according to U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine has reported gains in the southeast after launching a new counteroffensive push. In a video shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky, troops said they had recaptured the village of Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region, which would be the first time Ukraine has reclaimed a village from Russia in weeks. The Post could not independently verify the claim.
- In its latest military push, Kyiv aims to reach the Sea of Azov, which would sever Moscow’s land bridge to occupied Crimea and interrupt a key military conduit, though its forces still remain far from the sea.
- Putin said “most of the armed clashes” have taken place in Zaporizhzhia, describing the southern region as the “principal attack area.”
- The U.S. Senate passed a defense policy bill that would extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027, quashing partisan efforts to limit aid to Kyiv. The bill is expected to spark heated negotiations with the House.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine has reported gains in the southeast after launching a new counteroffensive push. In a video shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky, troops said they had recaptured the village of Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region, which would be the first time Ukraine has reclaimed a village from Russia in weeks. The Post could not independently verify the claim.
- In its latest military push, Kyiv aims to reach the Sea of Azov, which would sever Moscow’s land bridge to occupied Crimea and interrupt a key military conduit, though its forces still remain far from the sea.
- Putin said “most of the armed clashes” have taken place in Zaporizhzhia, describing the southern region as the “principal attack area.”
- The U.S. Senate passed a defense policy bill that would extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027, quashing partisan efforts to limit aid to Kyiv. The bill is expected to spark heated negotiations with the House.
More live updates here.
On southern front, Ukrainian forces aim to smash through Russian defenses
KYIV, Ukraine — Intense fighting raged along Ukraine’s front lines Thursday, according to officials in Kyiv, as Ukrainian troops made slow but steady gains in their ongoing counteroffensive to drive a wedge through the Russian-occupied south.
To the south of the eastern city of Bakhmut — which fell to Russia in May after months of vicious fighting — Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s forces were “gradually moving forward.” North of the city, Ukrainian troops were “repelling enemy attacks,” she said.
“Battles are quite tough,” Maliar wrote in a post on social media. “The enemy is firing intensively.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on his official Telegram channel late Thursday that showed soldiers from Ukraine’s 35th Brigade claiming to have liberated the village of Staromaiorske, in the Donetsk region.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Intense fighting raged along Ukraine’s front lines Thursday, according to officials in Kyiv, as Ukrainian troops made slow but steady gains in their ongoing counteroffensive to drive a wedge through the Russian-occupied south.
To the south of the eastern city of Bakhmut — which fell to Russia in May after months of vicious fighting — Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s forces were “gradually moving forward.” North of the city, Ukrainian troops were “repelling enemy attacks,” she said.
“Battles are quite tough,” Maliar wrote in a post on social media. “The enemy is firing intensively.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on his official Telegram channel late Thursday that showed soldiers from Ukraine’s 35th Brigade claiming to have liberated the village of Staromaiorske, in the Donetsk region.
Read the full story here.
African leaders urge Putin to end blockade of Ukraine’s grain
RIGA, Latvia — African Union Chairman Azali Assoumani called on Russia to allow the export of both Ukrainian and Russian grain at the opening session of the Russia-Africa summit on Thursday, amid fears that the blockade will lead to a spike in food prices that would worsen a food security emergency in the Horn of Africa.
The appeal comes after Moscow renewed its blockade on Ukrainian ports last week, preventing Kyiv from shipping grain, and attacked Ukrainian grain stores and port facilities.
In his address at the summit in St. Petersburg, Assoumani, the president of Comoros, an island nation off the coast of East Africa, said that opening export access to both Ukrainian and Russian grain would save African lives.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — African Union Chairman Azali Assoumani called on Russia to allow the export of both Ukrainian and Russian grain at the opening session of the Russia-Africa summit on Thursday, amid fears that the blockade will lead to a spike in food prices that would worsen a food security emergency in the Horn of Africa.
The appeal comes after Moscow renewed its blockade on Ukrainian ports last week, preventing Kyiv from shipping grain, and attacked Ukrainian grain stores and port facilities.
In his address at the summit in St. Petersburg, Assoumani, the president of Comoros, an island nation off the coast of East Africa, said that opening export access to both Ukrainian and Russian grain would save African lives.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine has reported gains in the southeast after launching a new counteroffensive push. Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region said they had recaptured a village, which would be the first that Kyiv reclaimed from Russia in weeks.
- Moscow claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian missiles inside Russian territory, with one intercepted missile landing in the town of Taganrog in the Rostov region, injuring nine people, according to local officials.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces mounted offensive actions in Zaporizhzhia on Friday.
- Putin said “Russia’s attention to Africa is growing steadily” and that this “is reflected in our plans to step up our diplomatic presence on the continent.
- The Wagner Group’s presence in Belarus has triggered concern about the security of Ukraine’s northern border, The Post reports.
- Russia claimed to have intercepted two Ukrainian missiles Friday.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine has reported gains in the southeast after launching a new counteroffensive push. Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region said they had recaptured a village, which would be the first that Kyiv reclaimed from Russia in weeks.
- Moscow claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian missiles inside Russian territory, with one intercepted missile landing in the town of Taganrog in the Rostov region, injuring nine people, according to local officials.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces mounted offensive actions in Zaporizhzhia on Friday.
- Putin said “Russia’s attention to Africa is growing steadily” and that this “is reflected in our plans to step up our diplomatic presence on the continent.
- The Wagner Group’s presence in Belarus has triggered concern about the security of Ukraine’s northern border, The Post reports.
- Russia claimed to have intercepted two Ukrainian missiles Friday.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- High-precision missiles were used in the strike on Dnipro’s city center, which destroyed the buildings and caused no deaths, the mayor said on Telegram.
- Russia’s request for Cherkasov’s extradition was conditionally approved by the top court in Brazil earlier this year, the country’s Justice Ministry said.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law moving the date of Christmas from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, as part of an effort to “renounce Russian heritage.”
- Russia claimed it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles in Russian territory, including one that local officials said landed in the town of Taganrog in the Rostov region on Friday, injuring nine people.
- The International Olympic Committee invited Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan to compete at next year’s Paris Games after she was disqualified from the Fencing World Championships in Milan for refusing a mandatory handshake with Russian opponent Anna Smirnova.
More live updates here.
- High-precision missiles were used in the strike on Dnipro’s city center, which destroyed the buildings and caused no deaths, the mayor said on Telegram.
- Russia’s request for Cherkasov’s extradition was conditionally approved by the top court in Brazil earlier this year, the country’s Justice Ministry said.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law moving the date of Christmas from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, as part of an effort to “renounce Russian heritage.”
- Russia claimed it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles in Russian territory, including one that local officials said landed in the town of Taganrog in the Rostov region on Friday, injuring nine people.
- The International Olympic Committee invited Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan to compete at next year’s Paris Games after she was disqualified from the Fencing World Championships in Milan for refusing a mandatory handshake with Russian opponent Anna Smirnova.
More live updates here.
What Russia’s exit from grain deal means for wheat prices
Russia’s announcement that it would renew its naval blockade on Ukrainian ports has revived concerns about wheat prices and the impact of Russia’s invasion on global hunger.
Russia had previously allowed grains and other agricultural products to pass through the Black Sea thanks to an agreement brokered by the United Nations several months after the invasion. Since then, almost 33 million tons of grains and seed oil products have been exported under this Black Sea Grain Initiative. At a time when the production and availability of food is being disrupted by geopolitical conflict, climate change and other factors the agreement helped reduce global food prices by more than 23 percent, United Nations secretary general António Guterres said this week.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s announcement that it would renew its naval blockade on Ukrainian ports has revived concerns about wheat prices and the impact of Russia’s invasion on global hunger.
Russia had previously allowed grains and other agricultural products to pass through the Black Sea thanks to an agreement brokered by the United Nations several months after the invasion. Since then, almost 33 million tons of grains and seed oil products have been exported under this Black Sea Grain Initiative. At a time when the production and availability of food is being disrupted by geopolitical conflict, climate change and other factors the agreement helped reduce global food prices by more than 23 percent, United Nations secretary general António Guterres said this week.
Read the full story here.
With Wagner in Belarus, tension grows on northern Ukraine border
YUROVE, Ukraine — Fears have grown along Ukraine’s northern border about the potential for new military attacks since Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenaries relocated to Belarus after last month’s short-lived mutiny against Moscow’s military leadership, with Ukraine — and even Poland — tightening security and stepping up defenses.
Belarus served as a staging ground when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his wide-scale invasion in February 2022, including a failed assault on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Defeated Russian units then retreated back across the Belarusian border.
Putin’s decision to allow Prigozhin and his fighters to escape punishment for the rebellion by relocating to Belarus prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to direct the military and national security forces to beef up defenses in the north.
Read the full story here.
YUROVE, Ukraine — Fears have grown along Ukraine’s northern border about the potential for new military attacks since Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenaries relocated to Belarus after last month’s short-lived mutiny against Moscow’s military leadership, with Ukraine — and even Poland — tightening security and stepping up defenses.
Belarus served as a staging ground when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his wide-scale invasion in February 2022, including a failed assault on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Defeated Russian units then retreated back across the Belarusian border.
Putin’s decision to allow Prigozhin and his fighters to escape punishment for the rebellion by relocating to Belarus prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to direct the military and national security forces to beef up defenses in the north.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- “An uptick of fighting” has gripped southern Ukraine in the past 48 hours, including near the village of Robotyne, according to an update from the British Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
- Russia claimed it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles, including one that local officials said landed in a town in Russia’s Rostov region on Friday, injuring nine people.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia’s defense minister of visiting North Korea to secure weapons.
- Global aid needs have skyrocketed during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, according to Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of the World Food Program.
More live updates here.
- “An uptick of fighting” has gripped southern Ukraine in the past 48 hours, including near the village of Robotyne, according to an update from the British Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
- Russia claimed it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles, including one that local officials said landed in a town in Russia’s Rostov region on Friday, injuring nine people.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia’s defense minister of visiting North Korea to secure weapons.
- Global aid needs have skyrocketed during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, according to Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of the World Food Program.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s military did not specify where the barrage of attacks occurred, but Russia has in recent days targeted populated areas in southern Ukraine as Kyiv ramps up its counteroffensive.
- The summit in Saudi Arabia is expected to have representatives from Ukraine, Britain, South Africa and the European Union in attendance, but Russia will not be joining them, the Journal reported.
- Ukraine will be able to meet heating needs this winter, the country’s energy minister said.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law moving the date for Christmas from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, as part of an effort to “renounce Russian heritage.”
- Russia said it thwarted an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow early Sunday.
- More than 100 Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s military did not specify where the barrage of attacks occurred, but Russia has in recent days targeted populated areas in southern Ukraine as Kyiv ramps up its counteroffensive.
- The summit in Saudi Arabia is expected to have representatives from Ukraine, Britain, South Africa and the European Union in attendance, but Russia will not be joining them, the Journal reported.
- Ukraine will be able to meet heating needs this winter, the country’s energy minister said.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law moving the date for Christmas from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, as part of an effort to “renounce Russian heritage.”
- Russia said it thwarted an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow early Sunday.
- More than 100 Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
More live updates here.
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A Ukrainian village’s final farewell to soldier highlights toll of war
KRASNOSILLIA, Ukraine — Villagers lined the road from one end of the small settlement to the other. At last, the coffin arrived. A boxy white van pulled to the side of the road, bearing the remains of Oleksandr Babych, a soldier who had been killed by a Russian attack on a military base soon after the launch of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive.
People who had been waiting at least half an hour on the road went down on one knee — even elderly babushki, who sometimes needed help back up. Several tossed flowers onto the pavement. Some made the sign of the cross.
The homespun, solemn ritual that unfolded here late last month was like many happening daily across Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale war nearly 1½ years ago. An estimate released by the White House in May says Ukraine and Russia have suffered a combined 380,000 casualties.
Read the full story here.
KRASNOSILLIA, Ukraine — Villagers lined the road from one end of the small settlement to the other. At last, the coffin arrived. A boxy white van pulled to the side of the road, bearing the remains of Oleksandr Babych, a soldier who had been killed by a Russian attack on a military base soon after the launch of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive.
People who had been waiting at least half an hour on the road went down on one knee — even elderly babushki, who sometimes needed help back up. Several tossed flowers onto the pavement. Some made the sign of the cross.
The homespun, solemn ritual that unfolded here late last month was like many happening daily across Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale war nearly 1½ years ago. An estimate released by the White House in May says Ukraine and Russia have suffered a combined 380,000 casualties.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-backed peace summit to be attended by delegations from the United States, India, Brazil and South Africa, among other countries, the Associated Press reported. The office of Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak confirmed the plan to meet in Saudi Arabia.
- Kyiv will discuss long-term security measures with Washington “this week,” Yermak said, referring to a recent agreement with Group of Seven nations. He reiterated Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, though he acknowledged that the country would not be accepted into the defense group until the war ends.
- Russia said it thwarted a drone attack on Moscow early Sunday and blamed Ukraine for the strike. One drone was stopped over Odintsovo, southwest of the capital, and two more crashed in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-backed peace summit to be attended by delegations from the United States, India, Brazil and South Africa, among other countries, the Associated Press reported. The office of Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak confirmed the plan to meet in Saudi Arabia.
- Kyiv will discuss long-term security measures with Washington “this week,” Yermak said, referring to a recent agreement with Group of Seven nations. He reiterated Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, though he acknowledged that the country would not be accepted into the defense group until the war ends.
- Russia said it thwarted a drone attack on Moscow early Sunday and blamed Ukraine for the strike. One drone was stopped over Odintsovo, southwest of the capital, and two more crashed in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said attacks inside Russia are “fair” and “inevitable,” hours after Kremlin officials accused Kyiv of drone strikes in Moscow and Russian-annexed Crimea.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said it thwarted a drone attack Sunday on Moscow and blamed Ukraine for the strike. A drone was intercepted southwest of Moscow, and two other drones crashed in the capital.
- Ukrainian officials did not say whether Ukraine played a role in those attacks, but a spokesman for the country’s air force, Yuriy Ignat, said: “There is always something flying in Russia, and in Moscow in particular.”
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to attend a Ukrainian-backed peace summit in Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive planning.
- Pope Francis called on Russia to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said attacks inside Russia are “fair” and “inevitable,” hours after Kremlin officials accused Kyiv of drone strikes in Moscow and Russian-annexed Crimea.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said it thwarted a drone attack Sunday on Moscow and blamed Ukraine for the strike. A drone was intercepted southwest of Moscow, and two other drones crashed in the capital.
- Ukrainian officials did not say whether Ukraine played a role in those attacks, but a spokesman for the country’s air force, Yuriy Ignat, said: “There is always something flying in Russia, and in Moscow in particular.”
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to attend a Ukrainian-backed peace summit in Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive planning.
- Pope Francis called on Russia to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
More live updates here.
In repeat bombing of Odessa, Putin deepens economic war on Ukraine
PAVLIVKA, Ukraine — When four Russian cruise missiles ripped apart a grain storage facility in this southern village last week, shock waves shattered the windows of adjacent homes, sending broken glass everywhere.
Like many of the farmers who live near Odessa, one of Ukraine’s major port cities, Tetiana Lazarova is convinced that Moscow’s attacks on the port and its agriculture sector are aimed at extracting maximum pain following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to terminate a United Nations-brokered deal allowing grain exports from the Black Sea.
Odessa’s grain industry suffered tens of millions of dollars in damage as a result of the near-nightly Russian airstrikes. The attacks destroyed at least 60,000 tons of grain, enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year, according to the U.N. World Food Program.
Read the full story here.
PAVLIVKA, Ukraine — When four Russian cruise missiles ripped apart a grain storage facility in this southern village last week, shock waves shattered the windows of adjacent homes, sending broken glass everywhere.
Like many of the farmers who live near Odessa, one of Ukraine’s major port cities, Tetiana Lazarova is convinced that Moscow’s attacks on the port and its agriculture sector are aimed at extracting maximum pain following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to terminate a United Nations-brokered deal allowing grain exports from the Black Sea.
Odessa’s grain industry suffered tens of millions of dollars in damage as a result of the near-nightly Russian airstrikes. The attacks destroyed at least 60,000 tons of grain, enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year, according to the U.N. World Food Program.
Read the full story here.