Latest news with #RussianShahed
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why an ex-Google CEO is deep in Ukraine's battlefield strategy
When Elon Musk cut Starlink coverage in Kherson in 2022, Ukraine's forces lost key communications mid-counter-offensive. Earlier this year, Maxar, a major satellite imagery provider, also pulled out after US President Donald Trump suspended military aid. These incidents left Ukraine scrambling for alternatives as Russia ramped up missile and drone assaults. Into this vacuum stepped Eric Schmidt . The former Google boss has now taken on a direct role, not as a donor or advocate, but as a defence tech supplier. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Management Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence Data Science Degree Project Management Technology Others CXO Finance PGDM Leadership Digital Marketing Operations Management Healthcare Cybersecurity MCA Public Policy MBA Data Analytics Product Management others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Schmidt's AI drones hit their targets Earlier this month, Schmidt met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Denmark. Together they announced a long-term co-production deal between Ukraine and Swift Beat , the defence tech company Schmidt now backs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spoiled kid took 3 subway seats while his mom ignored it, so a heroic stranger Kingdom Of Men Undo According to Ekonomichna Pravda, Swift Beat has already supplied three types of drones to Ukrainian forces. The models remain unnamed for security reasons, but they include interceptor drones, medium-range strike UAVs and FPV kamikaze systems. Officials told the outlet that these drones have taken down around 90 percent of Russian Shahed drones they encountered. Live Events 'These drones are extremely accurate in identifying Russian drones in the night sky,' a Ukrainian military source told Ekonomichna Pravda. They added that the drones rely on advanced AI to detect and destroy their targets, and that their secure communication systems have so far resisted Russian electronic warfare. A representative from one Ukrainian brigade confirmed this, noting that Swift Beat's kamikaze drones 'include a proprietary communication system resistant to Russian electronic warfare'. Ukraine shifts from dependency to partnership Unlike earlier arrangements with Western firms, the Swift Beat deal is being described as a genuine partnership. Ukraine gains highly accurate systems for frontline defence. In return, Swift Beat gets a chance to trial and refine its technology under live conditions. Zelensky announced in early July that the agreement would involve joint ventures between Ukrainian manufacturers and Swift Beat, with the aim of producing hundreds of thousands of drones by 2025. 'This is a co-production agreement between Ukraine and the United States. There will be several initiatives focused on various drone types. But the key element is the timeline: hundreds of thousands this year, and more next year,' Zelensky said. He noted that interceptor drones would remain the main priority. Praise, but also skepticism Schmidt is not just helping from afar. He has become a regular presence in Ukraine's defence circles, meeting with then Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and other senior figures. According to one Ukrainian defence official, Schmidt 'understands well what is happening' on the ground and 'believes that AI, drones, and autonomous systems will shape the future of warfare'. Still, not everyone is convinced that Schmidt's role is entirely altruistic. 'He says he's not making money on this, but we know he wants his drones battle-tested,' one industry insider told Ekonomichna Pravda. Others are concerned that Swift Beat's rising influence could edge out local developers. Ukraine's defence sector, though grateful for international support, remains cautious about long-term dependency. Despite these concerns, the results on the battlefield speak for themselves. Schmidt's drones have quickly become some of the most effective systems Ukraine has at its disposal. What is Swift Beat? Little is publicly known about Swift Beat. The firm does not disclose many technical details, but its website suggests it builds autonomous systems. These could include satellite-free navigation tools, drone-tracking software, and other automation technologies. With Ukrainian skies now a major theatre of war, Swift Beat's AI systems are playing a central role. As drone warfare becomes the norm, this partnership may shape not only Ukraine's defence, but the future of combat itself.
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Ukrainian drones hit Russian plant involved in missile output
Ukraine said its drones hit a Russian research and production facility that supplies components for missiles, as Russia unleashed a fresh barrage of air attacks overnight. Two Ukrainian drones struck the site of an electronics developer and manufacturer in Cheboksary, which temporarily halted operations to protect employees, Oleg Nikolayev, governor of Russia's Chuvashia region that's located 1,300 km (800 miles) from the border with Ukraine, said in a Telegram post. The plant is involved in the missile production process, including for the Iskander system, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Propaganda, on Telegram. It also produces navigation systems for Russian Shahed drones and components used in glide bombs, according to the Ukrainian unmanned systems forces. The attack on the electronics plant comes as Russian forces have been targeting Ukraine with major missile and drone strikes for several days. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in a telephone call that Moscow would retaliate for Ukrainian drone operations that destroyed several strategic nuclear bombers at airfields across the country. Russia overnight launched 499 drones and missiles, including four Kinzhals and 14 cruise missiles, Ukraine's air defense forces said Monday on Telegram. The military shot down or jammed 479 of them, it said. Ukraine regularly targets Russian plants involved in military production, as Moscow's full-scale invasion continues into its fourth year. While officials from Kyiv and Moscow have held direct talks in Turkey twice in the past month, Russia has so far refused calls by the U.S., Europe and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire to allow for peace negotiations. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian drones destroy major agricultural company in Kharkiv Oblast
An agricultural company that is a member of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council has been significantly damaged as a result of a Russian Shahed drone attack on Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Andrii Dykun, head of the business association, on Facebook Quote: "Russia continues to terrorise the civilian population and target agricultural companies in Ukraine. Today, at three in the morning in Kharkiv Oblast, a calf farm building, an administrative building, three cowsheds, two warehouses and a car were destroyed." Details: Dykun also said that the farm had 281 dairy cows, of which at least 100 animals were killed in the attack. The exact number will be determined once the rubble is cleared. Background: A drone attack in Cherkasy damaged a gas supply facility. The authorities are urging residents of the oblast centre and some nearby towns to switch off their gas appliances. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian forces attack Kharkiv Oblast: 17 people injured, houses and cars damaged
Seventeen people were injured, several fires broke out and a number of houses and cars were damaged as a result of Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast on the evening of 16 April. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Details: The Russians targeted the village of Oskil in the Izium district at around 20:00. Ten people were injured due to a strike on a car (information about the type of weapon is being gathered). Later, Russian forces attacked the village of Tymofiivka in the Bohodukhiv district. A house, a garage and a car were injured in four first-person view (FPV) drone strikes. Russian troops attacked the village of Pymonivka in the Izium district after 22:00. Russian Shahed loitering munitions set fire to an outbuilding over an area of 15 sq m and 8 cubic metres of firewood, damaging a house and two outbuildings. The Russians also attacked the town of Izium, likely using a missile, damaging six houses, two outbuildings and a car. Six people were injured: a 36-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, a 7-year-old child, a 55-year-old woman, a 25-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man. Three houses over an area of 600 sq m caught fire in Izium due to a Russian Shahed drone strike. A 66-year-old woman was injured. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Nighttime drone attack: fire rages in Odesa Oblast, kindergarten damaged, one person injured – photo, video
A disused warehouse building has caught fire, a kindergarten, a residential building and a shop have been damaged and one person injured as a result of a nighttime Russian drone attack in Odesa Oblast. Source: State Emergency Service (SES); Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from SES: "As a result of enemy strikes, a disused warehouse building, a shop and a car caught fire. Firefighters swiftly extinguished the blaze. A kindergarten and a residential building were also damaged. One person was injured." A firefighter extinguishing the fire. Photo: State Emergency Service Details: Kiper reported that around 500 consumers in the suburbs of Odesa are currently without power due to the damage to energy infrastructure. All the appropriate services are working to deal with the aftermath. Background: At night, the Russians attacked Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with drones, damaging infrastructure facilities in two districts and causing power supply disruptions. Emergency power outages were introduced in the Kremenchuk district of Poltava Oblast following a Russian drone attack. A large-scale fire broke out at premises belonging to a business in Kharkiv Oblast after a Russian Shahed drone strike on the night of 17 March. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
