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Russia launches 619 drones and missiles at Ukraine; air defences neutralise 583
Russia conducted a large-scale combined strike across Ukraine overnight from 19 to 20 September, launching 619 aerial assets comprising attack drones and missiles. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 583 of these were destroyed or suppressed, with impacts and falling debris recorded in…
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White House’s $6bn bet on Israel risks deepening divides
The White House’s request to push through a $6.4 billion arms package to Israel could hardly come at a more combustible time. Thirty Apache helicopters, thousands of armoured assault vehicles, and hundreds of millions in spare parts may strengthen Israel’s battlefield position…
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Europe Needs Its Drone Wall — Before It Is Too Late
For much of the past decade, Europe has sleepwalked into vulnerability. Our collective gaze has lingered on tanks, missiles and jets, while the quieter revolution in drone warfare has surged overhead. Drones — once the preserve of hobbyists — have…
Ukraine targets Russian energy sites in Bashkortostan and Volgograd
Ukrainian forces struck two major energy facilities deep inside Russia overnight on 17–18 September, hitting the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan and the Lukoil-operated Volgograd oil refinery. Regional authorities in Bashkortostan reported a fire at the Salavat site…
Trump’s Belarus overture risks confusing NATO at a fraught moment
U.S. military officers’ surprise appearance at Zapad-2025 in Belarus has jarred allies already managing drone incursions and a large Russian–Belarusian drill on NATO’s doorstep. The visit may have been designed as observation under OSCE rules, but its timing and optics…
America’s Drone Export Shift Signals a New Era of Allied Military Power
The United States’ decision to loosen export controls on military drones marks not only an industrial milestone but also a profound strategic pivot. By reinterpreting how the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) applies to unmanned aerial vehicles, Washington has taken…
Ukraine’s low-cost ‘fire-and-forget’ kit brings autonomy to the FPV battlefield
Two Ukrainian firms have begun mass production of what they describe as an inexpensive, “fire-and-forget” upgrade for first-person-view (FPV) drones, aiming to lift strike confirmation rates while keeping unit costs in the hobby-class bracket. Drone maker Vyriy is integrating The…
Ukraine’s forces strike Kirishi oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces say they struck the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast overnight on 13–14 September, describing the site as one of the largest refineries in the Russian Federation.…
Poland’s Sikorski questions value of “security guarantees” for Ukraine, urges focus on funding and arms
Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, has questioned the usefulness of proposed “security guarantees” for Ukraine, arguing that such pledges would lack credibility without states willing to fight Russia if deterrence failed. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) annual meeting…
Zelenskyy: Russian drone operated in Romanian airspace for 50 minutes; Romania scrambles F-16s, Poland shuts Lublin airport amid UAV threat
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle penetrated roughly 10 kilometres into Romania and remained in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes. Romania’s defence ministry reported scrambling two F-16s after detecting a drone during Russian strikes…