Russia showcases counter-drone warfare (VIDEO)
Drone warfare has become a defining element of the Ukraine conflict, with both sides adapting rapidly to the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the battlefield.
The footage released on Monday features operations by Rubicon, a Russian drone warfare unit tasked with testing and implementing new tactics. The video shows multiple interceptions of fixed-wing reconnaissance drones, including a Polish-made FlyEye model painted in Ukraine's 'Army of Drones' livery.
FPV drones, often used as expendable guided weapons, have limited range, altitude and flight time. By contrast, surveillance UAVs are typically larger, reusable and more capable, but they are also significantly more expensive.
Last week, Rubicon released another video that the ministry said showed an FPV drone successfully targeting a US-designed HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, valued at about $20 million.
Both Russia and Ukraine have scaled up military production during the conflict, with drones becoming a key part of their respective defense strategies. While Russia maintains a largely self-sufficient arms industry, Ukraine depends heavily on Western aid to support its economy and armed forces.
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The June NATO summit, held in The Hague, ended with a significant headline: a collective pledge to increase annual defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. This bold target, far exceeding the current 2% benchmark, signals a new era of militarization in the West, reflecting anxieties about a rapidly changing world order. While China was notably absent from the summit's final declaration, the specter of the Asian giant loomed large over the event. The omission appears tactical rather than strategic – a thinly veiled attempt to avoid escalating tensions, even as NATO members ramp up rhetoric and military preparations clearly aimed at containing Beijing. Though the summit declaration remained silent on China, the alliance's leadership left little doubt about their true concerns. NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, used the summit sidelines to sound alarm bells over China's 'massive military build-up'. Echoing the now-familiar Western narrative, Rutte linked China – alongside Iran and North Korea – to Russia's military operations in Ukraine, accusing Beijing of supporting Moscow's war efforts. These remarks followed Rutte's June address at London's Chatham House, where he described China's military expansion as happening 'at breakneck speed' and labeled Beijing, Tehran, Pyongyang, and Moscow as an 'awful foursome.' This framing makes clear that the NATO establishment and US leadership regard China not as a partner or even a rival, but a threat. The perception of China as an imminent danger was also echoed at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May, where US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of a potential Chinese military move against Taiwan and reiterated Washington's commitment to regional allies – albeit while pressing them to increase their own defense budgets. 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an hour ago
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