Situation at a glance: Zelenskyj: One million drones built for armed forces

According to official information, the Ukrainian defense industry has already built and delivered one million drones in various versions for the armed forces. “And that’s just what the state does,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening video address. In addition to government-funded contracts, the private sector and foreign allies are also contributing drones to the war against aggressor Russia. Armaments Minister Olexander Kamyshin reported to Zelenskyj about the current status of drone production before his video address at a meeting of the top army leadership.

Given the changing nature of warfare, Ukraine quickly pivoted to using drones as a new means of combat. The unmanned aircraft are not only relatively easy and quick to produce, they can also be used without great risk because soldiers do not have to risk their own lives.

Reconnaissance flights and remote-controlled speedboats

The Ukrainian defense industry and the private sector have been increasingly supplying drones to the front for months, from simple video drones for reconnaissance flights to combat drones to long-range kamikaze drones that can be used against targets deep in the Russian hinterland. Remotely controlled maritime drones, speedboats loaded with explosives, are also part of the Ukrainian arsenal.

With the comparatively new type of weapon, the Ukrainian military is supplementing its warfare with classic weapon systems such as artillery, infantry and combat aircraft. Special drone units have been supporting the troops’ operations at the front for several months. But the Russian armed forces also rely heavily on drones in their war of aggression.

Zelensky expressed his gratitude to everyone involved for keeping the Ukrainian army technologically up to date. Thanks go to “all Ukrainian manufacturers, the public sector and all partners who invest in the production of drones in Ukraine.” Production will be further expanded.

The Ukrainian armed forces also receive drones from foreign partners. Lithuania will deliver 1,000 combat drones to Ukraine in the next few days, the Defense Ministry in Vilnius announced. The government of the Baltic state has ordered more than 7,000 combat drones from local manufacturers for eight million euros. Of these, a good 2,300 are intended for the Ukrainian army and almost 5,000 for the Ukrainian armed forces. After the first batch, the remaining flying robots are scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year.

The Russian military reported the arrival of a Ukrainian drone swarm in the Bryansk region in the southwest of the country in the evening. The anti-aircraft defense shot down 16 drones, the state agency Tass reported, citing the Defense Ministry. No further information was given, such as the destination of the drones or the number of aircraft not shot down.

The Ukrainian military, in turn, reported late in the evening that a Russian swarm of kamikaze drones had crossed the city of Kherson in the south of the country and continued their flight in a northwesterly direction.

Discussions about North Korea’s role

According to Zelensky, the meeting of the highest military leadership discussed the current situation on the fronts and reports from the secret services about the Russian military’s intentions for the fall and winter. The deployment of North Korean soldiers in the ranks of Russian troops and “North Korea’s actual involvement in the war” were also discussed again.

Meanwhile, the Russian armed forces continue to put the Ukrainian army under heavy pressure on various fronts. “Active operations are now taking place along the entire length of the front line, but fighting is particularly fierce in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions,” Zelensky said on Platform X.

In addition, Russian troops have been attacking Ukrainian positions in the western Russian region of Kursk for days. “The boys are holding out and counterattacking,” the president reported. The Ukrainian army advanced deep into the Russian border area in a surprise attack in the summer.

Recently, Ukrainian military officials indicated that the situation on the front sections near Kursk had become difficult. According to Ukrainian commander Olexander Syrskyj, Russia has now withdrawn almost 50,000 soldiers from the front lines in southern Ukraine and relocated them to Kursk for counterattacks.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Russian Spetsnaz unit “Akhmat” spread reports of success. He claimed that it had been possible to bring almost half of the areas near Kursk that had been conquered from Ukraine back under Russian control. Neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian information could be independently verified.

Russia rails against NATO training maneuvers

Meanwhile, NATO’s annual maneuver to simulate the defense of the alliance’s territory with nuclear weapons continues. Around 2,000 military personnel from eight air bases are taking part in the two-week exercise “Steadfast Noon”. More than 60 aircraft are also part of the training – including modern fighter jets that can transport US nuclear bombs stationed in Europe, as well as long-range bombers, surveillance and tanker aircraft.

The Russian leadership criticized the maneuver as an unnecessary provocation. “Against the background of the hot war being waged in the Ukraine conflict, such exercises only lead to a further escalation of tensions,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russia repeatedly holds maneuvers with its nuclear forces, has put them on heightened alert in the conflict over Ukraine and has repeatedly threatened to use missiles.