Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports near the capital.
We hear a lot about the big-ticket weapons the West is shipping to Ukraine. But Ukraine is also fighting effectively with a weapon it can buy off-the-shelf and is small enough to hold in one hand.
Russia said Ukraine tried to attack the Kremlin with drones in an alleged attempt to kill President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine denies it, accusing Moscow of using this to justify a war escalation.
The Russians claim the U.S. drone crashed on its own. Either way, it appears to be the most serious incident involving the U.S. and Russian militaries in the volatile region in and around Ukraine.
The Female Pilots of Ukraine is the first of its kind in the country at a time when the Ukrainian military has been using drones for reconnaissance and fighting against Russian forces.
Even relatively inexpensive drones can provide valuable intelligence to units on the battlefield. "This is our task," a Ukrainian drone surveillance unit member says. "We sit the whole day and watch."
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the administration has "information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred" drones.
Autonomous drones can fly themselves to a specific location, pick their own targets and kill without the assistance of a remote human operator. The U.N. says such a drone was in the air in March 2020.
Scientists are trying to build a tiny drone with the agility of a mosquito. These light but strong flying robots could be used in critical situations, such as finding people in a collapsed building.
