On June 1 and the agreed time, trucks parked for weeks in several points from Russia They opened their doors. A swarm of more than 100 advanced drones thus began a mission that was destined for several air bases in Moscow. Upon reaching the designated objectives, explosive loads were automatically activated. The mission was historic for The sophistication level in the Uncianned war. In fact, the drones even lost every signal before achieving the goal.
And at that time the algorithms came into play.
The face that changes the war. We had slipped it weeks agobut now it has been The Financial Times The one described that AS in the Ukraine manga so that the Spiderweb operation was a success.
The war in Eastern Europe has entered a new phase marked by accelerated integration of artificial intelligence In attack and defense systems, and in “Spiderweb”, where the drones successfully attacked Russian military airfields even beyond the Arctic Circle, it was key.
A new generation. The operation, carried out by the Ukraine Security Service (SBU), not only evidenced Kyiv’s technical and strategic capacity for enemybut exposed the growing importance of Automation On the modern battlefield.
Behind the attack was a new generation of drones designed by the First Contact companydirected by Valeriy Borovyk, whose flagship, The Osastands out for its sophistication, high -end materials and autonomous navigation capabilities resistant to adverse conditions and interference systems. These devices, five times more expensive that conventional drones were scheduled to continue their flight following pre -established routes even After losing signal and automatically detonate when reaching the goal.


SBU map that illustrates drone transports in trucks from Cheliábinsk to the five target air bases
Assisted autonomy. He counted the medium that the development of these drones has not been exclusive to a single company. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, creator From The Fourth LawHe explained that both Ukraine and Russia are expanding their deployment capacity of autonomous systems in early stages, although still with partial human intervention in the terminal guidance. For a year, Adehnyuk He has delivered To the lines of the Front Systems with these experimental functions, and other Ukrainian companies have followed the same path.
The idea of delegating final decisions to AI in environments where signals can be easily blocked by the enemy has become a tactical need rather than a technological ambition. In parallel, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine recently announced the activation of carrying drones capable of Fly 300 kilometers and launch two free FPV, thus expanding the operational dimension of these tools in strategic depth.
Invisible war. We had already talked about the term With optical fiber. In this war of wear, technology not only responds to advances but also to deficiencies. The lack of anti -aircraft missiles, artillery or ammunition has forced Ukraine to reinvent continuously. Civil foundations like The Prytula Foundationheaded by Bohdan Danyliv, they have contributed hundreds of fixed wing interceptors They have managed to demolish almost 250 Russian drones, demonstrating how improvised solutions have compensated for the shortage of traditional systems.
Russia has not been left behind. He has identified Ukrainian drones and has counterattacked with improved modelsmany of them equipped with autonomous technology, optical fiber and even components from American video game consoles, According to services of Ukrainian intelligence. This evolution reveals a technological career in which the borders between civil and military are increasingly blurred.
The Russian challenge. It We have explained: One of the most surprising turns has been the effectiveness of Russian drones connected by fiber optic cable, a seemingly rudimentary solution but brutally effective in front of Ukrainian interference systems. This technology, which allows operators to control drones without worrying about electronic blockages, has been decisive in the recent Russian offensive In the Kursk region, where they have made faster advances than at any other time since November.
The Ukrainian reaction has been slow. Oleksandr Yakovenko, director of Taf Drones, recognized having underestimated the potential of this technique, and your company now tries to recover land by increasing production to 10,000 fiber optic drones per month, although he admits that they would need to manufacture at least 70,000 to match the Russian offensive capacity.
New war balance. It seems clear that drone war It is no longer a complement to the conflict, but its central operating core. In an environment saturated with interference, scarcity of resources and geostrategic pressure, Ukraine and Russia face in a duel where innovation is not a luxury, but A vital imperative.
Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, improvised production networks and unexpected adaptations such as the use of cables or video games are redefining the limits of the possible. Seen, the question that looms over the coming months does not seem to be who has more drones, but who will adapt faster in a war where intelligence, in any of its forms, has become the decisive factor.
Image | Ssu.gov.ua
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