Daily digest, 26 October 2026

Priority 1. UAVs, counter-UAV, military AI and new technologies in conflicts

Satellite communications on the LBS (line of contact)

update Starlink/Starshield — Musk publicly accused the AFU of violating the terms of use; the Ukrainian side says restrictions have been lifted

The dispute over Starlink throttling has moved from the technical to the political plane. On October 24, Musk stated that Ukrainian forces had violated the ToS (Terms of Service) by using Starlink for offensive UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) strikes. According to him, this "loophole" had been closed a week earlier. He attributed the Starshield restrictions (the military segment on SpaceX infrastructure) to decisions by the US government. Musk also warned that satellites guiding strike drones become legitimate targets, and that destroying them threatens a chain reaction of debris in orbit (source).

The Ukrainian side disputes Musk's version. A former Ministry of Defense official writes that whitelists have been in effect since February. Any terminal operating on the move had to be entered into a separate list and connected to Starshield. Therefore, according to him, civilian Starlink on drones technically did not work (source).

Data on the current state of connectivity diverge. According to an ISW summary, Ukrainian officials on October 24 confirmed that Starlink and Starshield had been restored without speed limits (source). Defense minister's adviser "Flesh" had earlier written that the 160 km/h limit remains in place and prevents jet-powered interceptors from engaging jet-powered "Gerans" (source). Zelensky called the situation "a positive," but allowed for new disruptions during the US elections (source).

The bargaining over connectivity has also been made public. According to Zelensky, in exchange for halting strikes on Russian refineries, Kyiv offered Washington three options. The first was a mutual energy truce. The second was enabling Starlink over Russian territory at points where ballistic missile launchers are located. The third was additional missiles for Patriot. None of the options was accepted (source).

The consequences for industry matter most. According to a translation of a The War Zone article (PDF), Ukrainian manufacturer Wild Hornets is revising its project to launch Sting interceptors from airborne platforms. In this scheme the terminal is on board and flies at high speed, which is impossible under a speed limit. Current interceptors need Starlink only as a stationary link, and they work. The conclusion of everyone interviewed: OneWeb, Eutelsat, relay drones and aerostats do not fully replace Starlink (source).

German OSINT analyst (OSINT — open-source intelligence) Tendar believes the episode has set a precedent for the entire US defense export industry. The F-35, HIMARS and Tomahawk also depend on software updates, and degrading them only requires ceasing to issue those updates (source).

update Starlink — the mechanics of bypassing restrictions broken down: proxy boards with coordinate spoofing and the constellation's own navigation

The most detailed explanation of why the speed limit worked precisely now came from the Russian information space. [TECH] The post covers the history of the contest around the terminal's GPS receiver and the economics of the "subsidized" terminal (source).

To start a session, the terminal needs coordinates and PPS (Pulse Per Second — a precise-time second marker). So the Russian side began jamming not Starlink itself but its built-in GPS. Ukrainian crews responded by lowering terminals into pits or wrapping them in chain-link mesh, and then installed a proxy board. It feeds the terminal false coordinates and its own PPS from a high-stability oscillator.

About a year ago Starlink learned to determine position using its own constellation. The accuracy of this method is a standard deviation of 20–100 m versus 3–5 m for consumer GPS, but it cannot be jammed. According to the author, the Starlink Mini terminal costing 35 thousand rubles began to be used as a substitute for a CRPA receiver (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna — a jam-resistant adaptive antenna array) costing about 1.5 million rubles. On May 20, SpaceX stopped outputting coordinates externally, but the terminal itself still knows its speed. That is why the speed limit worked despite the proxy boards.

Other Russian authors describe the server-side rule as follows: if the terminal is "stationary" according to GPS but switches between satellites too quickly, the session is dropped (source). Rybar reduces it all to money: through the loophole users paid about 400 dollars instead of an aviation tariff costing up to 100 thousand dollars (source).

A Ukrainian technical analysis disputes this version. According to it, modifications to the navigation chain are needed for operation under GNSS (global navigation satellite systems) interference. Mini terminals are officially connected to Starshield. The firmware cross-checks coordinates against signals from the constellation itself, so large-scale spoofing breaks the terminal's operation (source).

Signal and noise separate here as follows. It is reliable that the speed limit relies on the constellation's own navigation, not on the terminal's GPS. Versions of who flew and on what tariff remain biased on both sides.

Interceptors against jet-powered "Gerans"

update X-12 — Lithuania is considering the interceptor for its own air defense; the manufacturer still has not been named

The Lithuanian turbojet interceptor is going beyond "aid to Ukraine." T. Ružele, coordinator of Lithuanian-Ukrainian defense cooperation at the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, stated that Vilnius is considering integrating the X-12 into the national air defense system (source). Claimed characteristics: up to 700 km/h, cruising speed of about 350 km/h, flight range up to 126 km, altitude up to 10 km.

The Strategic Defense Alliance (SDA), which promotes the X-12, is registered as an association. Its members include Lithuania's ShieldCore Innovations, Latvia's ViCtec Latvia and Ukraine's Bulava, but who exactly manufactures the X-12 is not specified. 126 km is flight range, not the intercept zone. The guidance system and engagement results have not been disclosed (source).

update F-Jet 80 — an 8–10 kgf thrust engine and AI target tracking

F-Drones disclosed engineering targets for its interceptor. The target thrust of the small jet engine is 8–10 kgf, and the price should remain within 5–7 thousand dollars. Onboard AI is planned for detecting and pursuing aerial targets (source). A company engineer claims the vehicle has already intercepted several targets.

The same article states that Russia produces 4 thousand jet-powered "Geran-4/5" per month versus roughly 2 thousand piston-engine "Geran-2" (Shahed-136) (source). The source of this figure is not named, and it should be considered unconfirmed.

US-made AGT system spotted in a Ukrainian anti-aircraft regiment

The Ukrainian side is using a US-made gun-based C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems) in short-range air defense. The AGT system is in service with the 1030th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment of the AFU's 3rd Army Corps (source). It is a pickup truck with a Slinger remotely operated module and a 30-mm M230LF cannon. The cannon fires M1211 programmable airburst rounds, with an effective range of about 2 km. The US transferred nine AGTs and three M-ACE radars back in 2023, but this is the first time the system has been shown with a combat crew.

Counter-UAV in the Russian rear

Valdai: a second semicircle of 16 air defense towers around Putin's residence

Russia continues to build a dedicated line of towers for "Pantsir" and "Tor" systems to protect against long-range drones. OSINT researcher Jembob counted 16 new towers on a radius of about 55 km at intervals of roughly 15 km. Construction of all the towers began simultaneously in the first week of September. Some of the towers also cover a substation and an airfield in Demyansk (source).

In total there are already 49–50 air defense towers and ground positions around the residence. That is roughly half the number of positions in Moscow and the Moscow region, home to 20 million people (source). The figure clearly shows how rear-area air defense resources are distributed.

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development has approved recommendations for protecting data centers against UAVs

Data centers (DCs) have received an industry standard for protection against drones for the first time. The document introduces three categories based on the consequences of failure (source):

• K1 — facilities whose failure for more than an hour disrupts key state functions. For these, underground, rock-cut or bunker siting is preferred.

• K2 — regional and sector-level systems, with permissible downtime of up to four hours. Above-ground permanent structures are sufficient.

• K3 — corporate DCs, for which ordinary buildings are suitable.

The category determines requirements for distance from the border, airfields, fuel and energy facilities and transport hubs. For existing DCs, the document provides for reduced visibility from the air, EW (electronic warfare), redundancy and coordination with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) and Rosgvardiya. The market expects service prices to rise by about 10%. Whether the document is mandatory is unclear.

update "Vampir" and "Heavyshot" — Ukrainian operator: Russian FPV interceptors lie in wait at landing points, "Heavyshot" carries up to 25 kg

An interview with an operator of heavy hexacopters shows where their main vulnerability now lies (source). Russian FPV interceptors take up positions near landing sites and track the "Vampir" on its return. On one occasion the operator escaped a pursuit only by "winding the fiber-optic line onto the propellers." To avoid coming under friendly fire, crews have begun painting the airframes.

Logistics is shifting to the air. UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) "don't always make it," so cargo is delivered to positions by copters: the "Heavyshot" has carried up to 25 kg. The "Vampir" is forgiving of mistakes and returns home on its own, whereas training a pilot for the "Heavyshot" takes from two months to half a year.

Russian strike assets

update "Kometa" — HUR: orders in 2026 will exceed 100 thousand modules, a series of 20-element arrays is being prepared

The scale of production of jam-resistant navigation is now known. "Kometa" is an antenna array of patch antennas plus a processing module on an Altera Cyclone FPGA (field-programmable gate array). [TECH] The post breaks down the principle of spatial interference cancellation and lists the range of carriers (source).

The main variant at present has 16 elements. Preparations are under way for a series of 20-element arrays, and the use of 32-element arrays of Chinese manufacture and manufactured by "Alabuga" has been confirmed. The modules are fitted on the "Iskander-M", RM-48U, "Dan-T", "Oniks", "Izdeliye 30", "Gerber", "Garpiya", UMPK and, probably, the "Filin".

The order volume is over 100 thousand per year. This means that jam-resistant GNSS navigation has become a mass standard rather than an option for expensive missiles. The developer is "VNIIR-Progress" in Cheboksary; its site has already been attacked three times.

update "Geran-4 Seeker" — a series of strikes on locomotives; a Russian channel claims a control range of 170–250 km

The jet-powered "Seeker" is operating as a means of hunting moving targets in depth. Footage has been published of strikes on rolling stock in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and near Piatykhatky (source). A Russian channel claims that the range of stable control is 170–250 km, and over 350 km with relays (source). This is a claim by an interested party; there is no independent confirmation.

Ukrainian sources note another role for the "Seeker." Lacking specialized means against uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), the Russian side uses it as an interceptor against them (source).

update "Filin" — an image of a warhead weighing about 50 kg has been published

Footage has appeared showing the warhead of the small cruise missile "Filin"; according to the caption, it weighs about 50 kg (source).

The Russian author "Russkiy Inzhener" sees the "Filin" as a transition from "ersatz missiles" with internal combustion engines to mass-produced jet-powered systems (source). His argument: no one in the world has made turbines from nickel-based heat-resistant superalloys in the thousands. This raises the entry threshold for mass production. The thesis of "Ukraine lagging behind in jet-powered UAVs" is the author's own assessment.

update "Geran-2" (Shahed-136) — NYT: 12 thousand workers from the DPRK employed in assembly in Tatarstan

According to Ukrainian officials cited by The New York Times, Russia has brought in 12 thousand North Korean workers to produce "Geran-2" drones (source). Russian officers are also training North Korean drone operators. The DPRK is already practicing combined strikes with drones, cruise and ballistic missiles and artillery.

Ukrainian UAVs and reconnaissance

Vyriy Drone has released two reconnaissance versions of the "Veresen" fixed-wing drone, including one with satellite communications

Ukrainian manufacturer Vyriy is turning its strike fixed-wing drone into a family. The "Veresen-1" and "Veresen-R" have appeared, both available in a variant with satellite communications (source). A satellite link on a reconnaissance drone means beyond-line-of-sight reconnaissance without a chain of relays. It is precisely this mode that has fallen under Starlink restrictions.

Unknown Ukrainian drone over Lipetsk — likely a new decoy

After the raid on Lipetsk on the evening of October 24, debris of a small aircraft of an unfamiliar type was found. Russian and Ukrainian specialist channels agree that it is a new model of decoy for saturating air defenses or exposing their positions (source), (source).

update "Bars" — Germany is in talks to purchase the Ukrainian jet-powered UAV

The Ukrainian jet-powered platform with a range of up to 1000 km and a speed of about 700 km/h has attracted Berlin's interest (source). This is a step from exporting interceptors to exporting long-range strike assets.

Military AI and cybersecurity

Russian "Albatros-M5" reconnaissance drone recognizes concentrations of people with a neural network

Russia is using a reconnaissance UAV with onboard personnel recognition on the Zaporizhzhia axis. Ukrainian operators have shot down two "Albatros-M5" drones (source). The aircraft's neural network identifies concentrations of people in the reconnaissance zone directly in flight. The manufacturer is the company "Albatros" from Tatarstan, a subsidiary of the engineering center "Geomir"; according to HUR, it also produces FPV drones.

NATO is testing the NGT AI targeting system on 6000 virtual and 100 real targets

NATO Allied Command Transformation is testing the next-generation targeting system NGT (Next Generation Targeting) at the DiBaX26 exercise. SHAPE, joint headquarters and 11 countries are participating (source). The system does not build a new network but links national C2 systems (automated command and control systems) and intelligence assets through a unified data model.

The goal is to cut the decision cycle by more than half while leaving the authority to open fire with a human. At the same time, NGT is being integrated with the layered counter-UAS system LCI-X. The program's horizon is multi-domain operations by 2030.

The UK is funding agentic AI for cyber defense and infrastructure vulnerability discovery

London is allocating £60 million to National Cyber Shield with agentic AI and £70 million to the NERV center for finding vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure (source). A further £120 million will go to testing AI systems. Separately, an AI biosecurity laboratory is being created: £100 million in government funds and up to £200 million from OpenAI and Anthropic in the form of access to models and compute, with the participation of the defense laboratory Dstl.

A police inspection disrupted a demonstration of a full remote drone hack at GEEKCON 2026

This is a signal of how public research into drone vulnerabilities is regarded in China. On October 24 in Shanghai, a demonstration of a full chain for remotely taking over a flight controller was halted (source). The manufacturer complained to the police of "incitement to hacking," although, according to organizer Tan Xiaosheng, neither details nor the make of the aircraft were named on stage. The vulnerability itself has not gone away, and researchers now have less incentive to report it to the manufacturer.

Middle East, Africa and other zones

IAI unveiled the HawkGuard protection system with AI target classification

At AUSA 2026 the Israeli company showed a modular system against drones and other aerial threats (source). It is based on a radar and an electro-optical channel; AI classifies threats in real time, and interception is kinetic. The system is designed for fixed and mobile sites.

US Army to test up to 15 C-UAS systems in Morocco, with fielding to troops within 180 days

The US Army is trying to bypass the multi-year procurement cycle. In spring 2027, SETAF-AF together with the Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate will conduct field trials in Tan-Tan of detection, kinetic and non-kinetic defeat, and passive protection systems against Group 1–3 small drones (source). The final evaluation will take place at the African Lion 2027 exercise.

In brief:

• The US Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base is training personnel to use the Bumblebee V2 interceptor from Perennial Autonomy, which defeats small UAVs by direct impact (source).

• Iran claimed that an American LUCAS kamikaze drone (an American clone of the Shahed-136) was shot down over Bandar Abbas. The US has not officially reported any resumption of hostilities (source).

• Vietnamese T-54/55 tanks have received counter-drone protection (source). The bulk carrier Breadfan transited the Bosphorus toward the Black Sea fitted with anti-drone protection (source).

Priority 2. Military innovation

Commander of Ukraine's "Gregit" brigade: 95% of hits are inflicted by drones; artillery has moved into revetments and fires in series of up to 10 rounds

This is a rare open-source account of how artillery is surviving the drone war. [TECH] The PDF covers the economics of a shot, data on the "Bohdana" and the "Marta", and the problem of quality of Asian shells (source). The speaker is Vitaliy Korniyenko, commander of the 7th Artillery Brigade "Gregit" of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Khartiia".

Six guns at one position now means losing them within an hour. The guns stand in revetments, and before the crew moves out, air-defense drones "clear" the sky. A typical fire mission is up to 10 rounds, of which 3–5 are for ranging. With a shell costing from 2 thousand dollars, a mission costs roughly the same as 20 FPV drones for 20 thousand dollars, but the shot also gives away the position.

The "Bohdana" has received a ballistic radar that measures the shell's muzzle velocity and narrows the first-hit error to hundreds of meters. Factory repair takes 2 days, whereas a Western gun waits half a year for a sensor. The new 155 mm "Marta" has a 39-caliber barrel versus 52 for the "Bohdana" and loses 3–4 km of range, but it is easier to dig in and camouflage.

Shells from a number of Asian manufacturers deviate in mass by 0.5–0.9 kg from the nominal 46 kg, and muzzle brakes sometimes break off. The brigade maintains its own firing tables for each manufacturer and sorts shells by weight. Logistics are being shifted from pickups to UGVs.

update NSM — Kongsberg launches the missile from a 20-foot container for the first time

The Norwegian anti-ship missile has received the containerized NSM Mission Module launcher for four missiles (source). The container can be placed on a ship, a truck or the ground without modifications; inside are a generator and an electronics compartment. The test checked safety, logistics and resistance to shock waves. For the Baltic and the Black Sea, this is a way to hide missile capability among ordinary cargo.

Denmark guarantees a €100 million loan for Fire Point, but the solid-fuel plant is pushed back to late 2027

Copenhagen is issuing a state guarantee of 750 million Danish kroner for a site near Skrydstrup Air Base (source). The building purchased earlier did not meet safety requirements for producing solid rocket propellant. The company will have to build a new facility, and the cost estimate has grown from 50 million to more than 150 million euros. Denmark's defense minister explicitly attributes the relocation of production abroad to protection against Russian strikes.

Moldova to sign an agreement with Ukraine on joint UAV production

The document creates a legal basis for producing drones in Moldova; in return, Kyiv offers technology transfer (source). Moldova's defense minister called Ukraine one of the most advanced countries in EW and air defense. This is yet another site in the chain of relocated Ukrainian production.

Ground robots are entering the standard scenarios of NATO armies

At the TURNAs-2026 exercise, the Turkish Navy used HAVELSAN's Barkan UGV for the first time in an amphibious raid and for casualty evacuation (source). The US Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Grafenwöhr evacuated a simulated casualty with an AZAK S26 robot for the first time (source). At the same Turkish exercise, the Aksungur UAV searched for submarines using aselBUOY 100P sonobuoys (source).

In brief:

• Under the FORTRESS initiative, the Pentagon is preparing major bases for 90 days of autonomous operation without civilian power, water and fuel networks (source).

• According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is planning a human-intelligence espionage program under non-official cover against Chinese companies in AI and semiconductors. The Pentagon denies this (source).

• Clusters of quantum inertial systems, gravimeters and magnetometers for GNSS-free navigation and submarine detection are taking shape in Europe (source).

• The Leonardo and Rheinmetall joint venture has received 3.7 billion euros for 30 tanks based on the KF51 Panther and 48 A2CS tracked vehicles for Italy (source).

Priority 3. The conflict around Ukraine: trends and signals

Ukrainian strikes on the second tier of Russia's defense-industrial supply chain. Over three days, Storm Shadow cruise missiles struck "Proton-Elektrotex" in Oryol and "Energiya" in Yelets, about 300 km from the border. According to a satellite image, buildings in Oryol where silicon wafers and microchips were made were damaged (source). "Energiya" produces thermal batteries for the "Iskander-M" and "Iskander-K", and power sources for the "Tsirkon", "Pantsir" and "Kinzhal" (source). A Russian channel notes that this is the fourth defense enterprise struck by missiles during the day, during a work shift (source).

Drones are reaching Western Siberia and the Urals. "Omsky Kauchuk", about 2500 km from Ukraine, and the "AVISMA" titanium-magnesium plant in Berezniki were attacked (source). For the week of October 19–25, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported 3513 UAVs shot down, an average of 502 per day. 42 of the 126 recorded hits were in regions outside the border area (source).

Russian strikes on southern Ukraine's logistics. "Geran" drones and "Dan-T" regularly strike the cable-stayed bridge in Zaporizhzhia; four "Epicentr" warehouses were hit in one day. By TASS's count, Ukraine has lost about 500 locomotives in less than two years (source).

The Black Sea has become the world's most dangerous route. Since the start of the year, more than 570 vessels have been attacked. In the third quarter, about 387 were damaged — more than four per day. Fewer than 10 vessels passed through the ports of Greater Odesa in September, versus about 400 in July (source). The US has deployed a P-8A to Varna, and France an Atlantique 2 to Constanța (source).

Russian advance has slowed. According to DeepState, in October 2026 Russia is taking an average of 1.3 km² per day, versus 8.6 km² in October 2025 and 16.8 km² in November 2025 (source). Russian channels also acknowledge that the offensive toward Orikhiv has slowed (source).

Negotiation track. Following talks with Witkoff in Saint Petersburg on October 21, a local ceasefire in the Oleshky area starting October 27 for a humanitarian operation is being discussed (source). Zelensky called neutrality and a reduction of the army "red lines", and territorial issues a topic only for the level of leaders (source). Meanwhile, Ukraine introduced its first sanctions list against the Russian missile production chain: 51 individuals and 44 enterprises (source).

What to watch

1. The Starlink restriction works through the constellation's own navigation, not the terminal's GPS. Proxy boards do not bypass this mechanism, and Ukrainian manufacturers are already winding down projects with an onboard terminal.
2. "Kometa" jam-resistant navigation is reaching a volume of over 100 thousand modules per year, with 20- and 32-element arrays on the way. GNSS jamming as the primary method of defense against Russian strike weapons is losing effectiveness.
3. Interceptors against jet-powered "Gerans" are becoming an export and European topic: Lithuania is trying the X-12 for its own air defense, and Germany is interested in the "Bars".
4. Ukrainian strikes are shifting to the second tier of the supply chain — batteries and microelectronics. In response, Russia is densifying point air defense (Valdai) and introducing physical protection standards for data centers.
5. The approach of "Kosmos-2612" to within tens of meters of ICEYE-X36 is the first case of such an operation against another party's operational commercial SAR satellite whose data Ukraine receives.

What's new in UAVs and counter-UAV

• Veresen-1 and Veresen-R (Vyriy Drone, Ukraine): reconnaissance flying wings, with versions featuring satellite communications.

• Albatros-M5 (Russia): reconnaissance drone with an onboard neural network that recognizes concentrations of people.

• Unknown small decoy drone (Ukraine): first found after the raid on Lipetsk.

• X-12 (Lithuania): under consideration for Lithuanian air defense; manufacturer and interception envelope not disclosed.

• F-Jet 80 (F-Drones, Ukraine): jet-powered interceptor, thrust 8–10 kgf, price 5–7 thousand dollars, AI tracking.

• AGT (USA, in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine): 30-mm M230LF cannon with remotely detonated ammunition, about 2 km.

• HawkGuard (IAI, Israel): radar, optics and AI classification, kinetic interception.

• Bumblebee V2 (Perennial Autonomy, USA): direct-impact interceptor, training in the US Air Force.

• Geran-4 Seeker (Russia): strikes on locomotives; claimed control link range 170–250 km.

• Kometa (Russia): over 100 thousand orders in 2026, preparation for series production of 20-element arrays.

Military space and space-based data

update Kosmos-2612: COMSPOC reports three passes at 220, about 60 and 260 m from ICEYE-X36 at walking speed

A detailed reconstruction has been published of the approach by a Russian military satellite to a Finnish-American SAR (synthetic aperture radar) spacecraft. [TECH] The post contains a timeline of maneuvers with impulses and error margins (source).

On October 1, Kosmos-2612 raised its orbit by approximately 47 km, and by October 16 it had entered the plane of ICEYE-X36 with an accuracy of 0.003°. From October 16 to 18 it spent about 24 hours within 2 km of the target and about 12 hours within 1 km. Relative velocity at the closest points was 0.15–0.9 m/s; ICEYE-X36 did not maneuver. Kosmos is currently holding approximately 480 km away in the same orbit.

Previously, such techniques had only been practiced between the Russian satellites Kosmos-2581/2582/2583: since August 2025 they have had more than 170 approaches within 1 km. Meduza allows that the minimum distance to ICEYE-X36 was less than 30 m (source).

Chinese constellations. A Long March 8A rocket placed nine Guowang satellites into orbit; the constellation has grown to 222 spacecraft out of 13 thousand planned. On October 23, a Long March 4B placed six Yaogan-53 and Yaogan-56 reconnaissance satellites into orbit (source).

Changes in data access:

• A navigation source has been closed off. Since May 20, Starlink terminals no longer output their own coordinates externally, and they can no longer be used as a cheap jam-resistant substitute for GPS (source).

• New tactic against AIS (Automatic Identification System for vessels). Russian Forces Spotter recorded at least 12 Russian vessels in the Black Sea that do not switch off their transponders but transmit false signals; half of them transmit two at once (source). The sign of a "dark" vessel is now not silence but contradictory tracks.

• Commercial imagery. Based on Vantor imagery from October 6, Jane's found at Bosaso air base in Somalia a UAV resembling the Chinese CH-95, probably Emirati (source). The aftermath of strikes on Oryol is being published based on low-resolution imagery (source).

• Open dataset for flight planning: Copernicus DEM GLO-30, Sentinel-2 at 10 m resolution, OpenStreetMap, Open-Meteo and ERA5. SRTM does not cover latitudes north of 60°, i.e. northern Russia (source).

Under the radar

• Starlink as a CRPA substitute: an analysis of why proxy boards with a PPS generator were installed and why the speed restriction worked anyway. Key to understanding the current communications crisis (source).

• A video report from the Russian Rubikon center shows its hunting priorities. Against roughly 33 hits on Ukrainian Baba-Yaga heavy copters, there are 9 UGVs, 6 patch antennas, 3 Starlink terminals, 3 EW stations and 5 DJI Matrice. Heavy copters have become the main target (source).

• A Ukrainian technical response to the theory of a Starlink "hack". According to it, Minis officially connect to Starshield, and the firmware verifies coordinates against the constellation (source).

• GEEKCON 2026: a public demonstration of a full remote hack of a flight controller was stopped by police following a complaint from the manufacturer (source).

• The VZLYOT app from the Tekhnologii Pobedy project combines weather, radio horizon calculation, a signaller's calculator, a flight log and the AI assistant Shturman. The assistant performs calculations using the app's tools and changes data only after confirmation by the pilot (source).

• An aggregator of reports on drones over Russia tallies the week: 3513 shot down according to the MoD, 126 confirmed hits, 87% shot down at night. For the first time in two weeks, Udmurtia and the Yaroslavl, Penza and Sverdlovsk regions appeared in the reports (source).

What about our Chinese comrades?

• China is building communications and reconnaissance in orbit in parallel. The Guowang constellation has grown to 222 satellites out of 13 thousand planned, and another six Yaogan reconnaissance satellites were launched within two days (source).

• A PLA Air Force H-6K bomber has been spotted with a new large EW pod (source).

• J-20 developers at AVIC Chengdu have proposed a concept for a wing-integrated, downward-looking radar. The field of view is changed by banking over 45°, and surveillance is distributed among several drones instead of a single expensive AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft. No tests yet (source).

• During the Karakoram-2026 exercise with Pakistan, ZBL-09 IFVs received anti-drone slat screens and practiced delivering assault groups in urban terrain (source).

• The scandal at Shanghai's GEEKCON shows that Chinese drone manufacturers prefer to pressure vulnerability researchers rather than fix defects (source).

External analysis

• Through "Project Agincourt", the Pentagon plans to create by October 1, 2027 a four-star autonomous warfare command, AUTOWARCOM, modeled on SOCOM. The success metric is the time from a battlefield problem to a solution in the field. Critics fear a conflict of authority with the military services (source). This is the American institutionalization of what Ukraine has already done through the Unmanned Systems Forces.

• An analysis of LRASM versus Tsirkon (Zircon) argues that the outcome is determined by the reconnaissance-strike network, not by the speed of an individual munition (source). This directly contradicts the Russian Telegram thesis that the transition to jet-powered high-speed systems by itself delivers a strategic turning point.

• Austria is upgrading 28 35-mm anti-aircraft guns to Skynex with Ahead programmable ammunition and remote control; the contract is worth 532 million euros (source). Europe is betting on the same logic of cheap gun-based drone defeat as the American AGT in the Ukrainian regiment.

• Denmark is simultaneously buying expensive JSMs for the F-35 and cheap jet-powered Anthem. Defence-UA sees this as a sustained NATO trend toward combining expensive and mass-produced assets (source).

• Japan's Defense Minister acknowledged that the 2024 AI use principles are already outdated and launched their revision (source). The regulatory cycle is failing to keep pace with technology, and not only in Europe.

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