International

Ukraine faces war bleak future as drones open new battlefront

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2024

Ukraine faces war bleak future as drones open new battlefront

The black box sits on the army truck dashboard like a talisman, its tiny screen lighting up with warnings when Russian drones are above us. We are driving fast along a country road in the darkness near the front lines outside Kharkiv.

Like many in this war, the soldiers inside have come to revere the little cube they call “sugar”; it warns of the unseen dangers above.

On the vehicle’s roof are three mushroom-shaped antennas that make up separate drone-jamming equipment. The car emits an invisible aura of protection that will thwart some, but not all, of the Russian attack drones patrolling the skies above this battlefield.

“It has detected the Zala Lancet Russian drones,” says Senior Lt Yevhenii, 53, from the front passenger seat, describing one of the most powerful long range Russian drones and its targeting drone. “Is that why we’re driving so fast?” I ask, aware that the drone-jamming antenna is useless against a Lancet.

“We’re not a priority for them, but it’s still better not to slow down because it’s very dangerous,” says Yevhenii, from the Khartia Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard.

The jamming equipment blocks roughly 75% of frequencies that drones use to communicate with their operators, but some like the Lancet are difficult to block because they are entirely autonomous once their target has been marked. Because of the Lancet’s power, it tends to be used on larger targets, such as armoured vehicles or infantry positions, the Ukrainians say.

Almost none of this technology was here in Ukraine a year ago; now it is commonplace. Drones, which were once peripheral to the war are a central component for both sides, alongside infantry and artillery as Ukraine struggles to hold back Russian advances.

Ukraine has been thrown into the bleak future of war, where within minutes individual soldiers, fast-moving vehicles and trench positions can be precisely targeted. Drones have civilians in their sights too: about 25 from Russia attacked Kharkiv on Tuesday night, although most were intercepted.

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Ukraine’s army is fighting back with its own drones, and there are dozens across this stretch of front line. One Ukrainian soldier tells me every day they kill 100 Russians.

The last images from drone cameras are usually of men panicking, their arms flailing, weapons firing before they are killed. The brigade’s 37-year-old drone commander, who goes by the call sign Aeneas, says that without shelter in a building there is little chance of survival – for Russians, and his men too.

“It’s the new way or a new path in modern war. In 2022 it was only infantry war and today one half is only a war of drone, a battle between Russian drones and ours,” he says.

The move to drone warfare is a combination of necessity and innovation. Drones are in plentiful supply, even though when armed they lack the explosive fire power of artillery.

Ukraine has consistently run short of artillery shells, and its allies have been slow to produce and supply them. But a Drone Coalition of Ukrainian allies has pledged to supply the country with a million drones this year.

Russia has made its own innovations on the battlefield too, using an older technology, and the village of Lyptsi, just six miles (10km) from the Russian border, has paid the price.

It was devastated by glide bombs – Soviet-era “dumb bombs” fitted with fins and a satellite guidance system. Some are as large as 3,000kg (6,600lbs) and, when launched from aircraft, glide onto Ukrainian infantry positions and towns to highly destructive effect.

One woman named Svitlana, who was driven out of Lyptsi by these attacks, told us: “Everything was exploding all around. Everything was burning. It was scary there. It was impossible to even get out of the cellar.”

Aeneas takes us on a tour of his drone teams, embedded along the front line in Lyptsi. Every vehicle we encountered near there was fitted with drone-jamming equipment; but the jammer’s protection ends when you exit the vehicle.

It’s dangerous to be caught out in the open, so we follow Aeneas running across the rubble for cover. All the while the BBC’s own drone detector calls out calmly into an earpiece: “Detection: multiple drones, multiple pilots. High signal strength.”

Out of breath, we make it to the drone unit’s underground base beneath a ruined building, where we are introduced to two operators, Yakut and Petro. There are drones on every surface, next to a frying pan with their evening meal. They get through many hundreds of drones in a month, as most are single-use and detonate on their target.

Their weapon of choice is the First Person View (FPV) drone, which carries a payload of between 1kg (2.2lbs) and 2kg of explosive, packed with shrapnel. The drones are modified off-the-shelf models which have cameras to send video back to their remote operators. “We call them celebration drones in Ukraine. They were used to film weddings and parties before the war,” Aeneas says.

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I watch on a screen in real time beside Yakut who is fixed in concentration flying a drone manually to a target, across open fields and woodland. “He knows every puddle, every tree in the area,” Petro says.

The FPV drone approaches a building where a Russian soldier is believed to be hiding. It flies through an open window and detonates, the operator’s screen turning to static as the signal is lost. At the same time, another drone team is targeting a Russian Tigr light-armoured vehicle and scores a direct hit, captured by a second surveillance drone that’s watching from above.

The men stay on these positions, flying missions day and night, for up to five days at a stretch and spend as little time outside as possible. Their biggest fear is glide bombs: one landed nearby earlier that week, and the whole building shook. What happens if there’s a direct hit? I ask Petro. “We die,” he replies.

Aeneas shows me a recording from earlier in the week: a Russian soldier is caught in the open and the unit’s drone has him in its sights. The soldier notices it and runs for cover, hiding in a drainage culvert by the roadside. Slowly the drone lowers to its level, checking one side of the drainage pipe, then going around the other side, where the soldier is hiding. It detonates and the man is blown out, dying by the roadside. “He was divided into two parts,” explains Aeneas.

The operators are cool and dispassionate, almost clinical in their targeting and killing. They are as far as three miles (5km) away from their targets, one step removed from the immediate blood and guts of the battlefield. But encountering these weapons on the frontline is nerve-wracking.

A few days later, after dark, at an infantry trench close to Russian positions, a unit commander tells me he believes the Ukrainians have the upper hand in drone warfare, the Russians the advantage with glide bombs.

Russia also has the advantage in drone numbers: six for every Ukrainian one, although the drone teams I was with say they have the technological edge and are quicker at finding ways to counter-attack and jam Russian drones.

The trench is in a wooded copse, surrounded by fields, a thick canopy of trees provides cover.

But as we are speaking a Russian FPV drone is detected and begins to move closer to the position. The few dim lights, mostly phone screens, are turned off in the trench, and the men sit silently as the drone’s approach gets louder. We hold our breath as it hovers overhead. For what seems like an age, no one dares move. But then the drone moves on, in search of another target.

The largest drone in the brigade’s arsenal is the Vampire, which with its six rotors is the size of a coffee table. Again we join Aeneas on another mission in Lyptsi after dark, under the sound of constant artillery fire, where we meet the heavy bomber team. They work to attach the bomb to the drone.

“Ten kilograms, the Russians call this drone the Bogeyman,” says Aeneas. It’s payload is powerful enough to take out their intended target, a Russian command post, they say.

As the men work, a Russian drone makes a number of passes overhead: each time it does, the soldiers retreat into the basement, wait for the all-clear, then resume the assembly. As the drone takes off into the night in a cloud of dust, they watch its progress again from a second surveillance drone.

Just then, with barely any warning, we see on the drone’s thermal camera three Russian glide bombs detonating over the Ukrainian position, over a kilometre away. The shock waves are visible: seconds later they reach our location and the house around us shudders violently.

Ukraine’s allies know that by supporting the drone effort, they are helping the country’s cause, but it isn’t simply an act of charity.

The head of the British military, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, has said that the UK’s armed forces can learn from Ukraine how to fight future wars. He said in a speech on Tuesday that he wants the Army to have “battalions of one-way attack drones”.

Aeneas and his men know this. As we leave their position, a Russian drone returns and we drive off at speed into the darkness. In the truck he tells me: “No one is fighting war this way – they are learning from us. This will be the future war.”

Ukraine faces war bleak future as drones open new battlefront

BBC

International

Explosion Rocks Liège Synagogue in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

Published

8 minutes ago

March 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Explosion Rocks Liège Synagogue in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

Authorities in Belgium have condemned an early-morning explosion outside a synagogue in Liège, calling it a serious act of antisemitism that underscores growing concerns about security for Jewish communities across Europe.

The blast occurred shortly before 4 a.m. local time outside the Synagogue of the Israeli Community of Liège, a historic site built in 1899. Although no injuries were reported, the explosion shattered windows in the synagogue and nearby buildings, prompting local police to close the street and establish a security perimeter while federal investigators combed the area for evidence.

Liège Mayor Willy Demeyer strongly condemned the incident, describing it as an “extremely violent act of antisemitism” and warning against importing international conflicts, particularly the ongoing tensions involving Israel, United States, and Iran, into the city.

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Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin echoed the condemnation, calling the blast a “despicable antisemitic act targeting Belgium’s Jewish community.” He confirmed that federal prosecutors and counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation and pledged to strengthen security around Jewish institutions nationwide.

Leaders of the Jewish community also spoke out. Yves Oschinsky, president of the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organisations in Belgium (CCOJB), described the explosion as “extremely disturbing, serious and worrying”, highlighting the psychological impact on the local Jewish population.

Authorities are still investigating the cause and motive behind the blast, and no group has claimed responsibility. The synagogue remains a significant cultural and religious landmark for Belgium’s Jewish community, making the attack particularly alarming to officials and residents.

The incident comes amid heightened global tensions linked to ongoing Middle East conflicts, prompting European authorities to remain vigilant against potential spillover incidents targeting religious and cultural sites.

Explosion Rocks Liège Synagogue in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

International

Beijing Warns Against Threats to Iran’s New Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Published

49 minutes ago

March 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Mojtaba Khamenei

Beijing Warns Against Threats to Iran’s New Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

China has expressed support for the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, describing the leadership transition as an internal decision of Iran and warning against threats to the newly appointed leader.

Speaking on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing respects Iran’s political process and opposes any form of foreign interference in the country’s domestic affairs.

According to Guo, the decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the successor to the late Ali Khamenei was carried out in accordance with Iran’s constitution.

“China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” Guo said while responding to questions about threats reportedly directed at the new leader.

The comments come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East after Israel reportedly vowed to target any successor to the late Iranian leader following his death during a wave of military strikes carried out by Israel and the United States earlier this month.

Iranian state media confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late supreme leader, was selected as Iran’s new top authority following a vote by the Assembly of Experts, the influential clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s highest political and religious authority.

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The 56-year-old cleric has long been viewed as an influential figure behind the scenes in Iranian politics. In recent years, he has developed close ties with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which plays a central role in Iran’s security and regional military operations.

His appointment came just days after reports emerged that his father, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in coordinated strikes during the opening phase of the intensifying confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States.

Prior to the official announcement, Assembly of Experts member Hosseinali Eshkevari hinted that the leadership transition had already been concluded. In a video widely circulated by Iranian media, he said the decision had been finalized and would soon be formally announced.

“The name of Khamenei will continue,” he said, adding that the vote to select the new leader had already been cast.

Under Iran’s political system established after the Iranian Revolution, the supreme leader holds the highest authority in the country, exercising ultimate control over the military, judiciary and major national policies while sitting above the president and parliament.

However, Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation has sparked debate among political analysts and observers, with some critics arguing that the development resembles a hereditary transfer of power similar to the monarchy that ruled Iran before the revolution.

The leadership transition is unfolding at a time of heightened regional conflict. Israel and the United States have continued to strike Iranian targets, while Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and Gulf states hosting American forces, raising fears of a broader Middle East war.

Beijing Warns Against Threats to Iran’s New Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

International

Iran Fires Missiles as Mojtaba Khamenei Succeeds Father as Supreme Leader

Published

6 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Iran Fires Missiles as Mojtaba Khamenei Succeeds Father as Supreme Leader

Iran fired a new wave of missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf nations early Monday after the Islamic Republic appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader, succeeding his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The escalation comes nine days after joint US-Israeli strikes killed Ali Khamenei, plunging the Middle East into a rapidly expanding conflict that has already drawn in multiple regional actors and rattled global markets.

Iranian state television announced the appointment of the 56-year-old cleric following a decision by the 88-member Assembly of Experts, the powerful body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader.

Reading the official statement, a presenter said Mojtaba Khamenei “is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts.”

The clerical body said it “did not hesitate for a minute” in naming a successor despite what it described as “the brutal aggression of criminal America and the evil Zionist regime.”

Shortly after the announcement, Iranian state media broadcast footage of a projectile reportedly launched toward Israel bearing the slogan “At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba,” signalling loyalty to the new leader.

The missile barrage targeted Israel and several Gulf states, intensifying fears that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones heading toward an eastern oil field, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported missile attacks within their territories. Authorities in Bahrain said air raid sirens were activated after an Iranian drone strike wounded 32 people on the island of Sitra, including a 17-year-old girl with severe head and eye injuries and a two-month-old baby.

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Saudi officials also reported that a projectile struck Al-Kharj province, killing two people and injuring 12 others. In Israel, authorities said Iranian missile attacks have killed 10 people, as air defence systems intercepted several incoming projectiles overnight.

In response, Israel launched another wave of air strikes, targeting infrastructure and strategic facilities in central Iran. The Israeli military said the operations were aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities and disrupting logistical networks used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Over the weekend, Israeli forces also carried out a strike on a hotel in central Beirut, reportedly targeting five commanders of the IRGC’s Qods Force, the unit responsible for coordinating Iran’s overseas military operations. Lebanon’s health ministry said four people were killed and 10 injured in the Beirut strike.

The conflict has also intensified in Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants said their fighters were engaged in ongoing clashes with Israeli forces. Hezbollah claimed Israeli troops landed in eastern Lebanon using 15 helicopters crossing from Syria, triggering fierce fighting near the town of Nabi Sheet.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy clashes in the area, while officials said Israeli strikes across the country have killed at least 394 people, including 83 children and 42 women, since the war began. Two Israeli soldiers were also reported killed during operations in Lebanon.

Inside Iran, the health ministry said at least 1,200 civilians have been killed and about 10,000 wounded since the war began, although the figures could not be independently verified. The conflict erupted amid recent nationwide protests in Iran, which security forces had previously crushed with deadly force.

Analysts say the new leader, widely viewed as a hardline cleric closely aligned with the Revolutionary Guard, is expected to maintain his father’s tough stance against dissent and Western influence.

The widening conflict has sent global oil prices soaring, with benchmark crude climbing above $100 per barrel for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. The spike reflects fears that the war could disrupt energy supplies, particularly if fighting spreads to key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes daily.

Stock markets across Asia fell sharply on Monday as investors reacted to rising geopolitical risks and higher energy costs. Despite the surge in oil prices, US President Donald Trump dismissed the spike as a “small price to pay” for eliminating what he described as the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump had earlier dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and suggested that Washington should influence who leads Iran. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he said in an interview before the leadership announcement.

Israel’s defence minister had also warned that whoever succeeded Ali Khamenei would become a potential military target, while the Israeli military vowed to pursue Iran’s leadership if necessary.

As the conflict escalates, the US State Department ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia, days after a drone strike hit the US embassy compound in the kingdom. Trump said any decision on how long the war continues would be coordinated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I think it’s mutual… a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pledged full loyalty to the new supreme leader, saying its forces were ready for “complete obedience and self-sacrifice” in carrying out his orders.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the leadership transition would “guarantee national sovereignty and territorial integrity”, as diplomats declared their allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei.

With missile exchanges continuing across multiple fronts, analysts warn the crisis could develop into one of the most dangerous Middle East conflicts in decades, with far-reaching consequences for global security and energy markets.