Ukraine is increasingly using swarms of decoy drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to support long-range strikes inside Russian territory, according to a CNN report.
The report, published Thursday, cited the commander of the Deep Strike unit within Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), identified only by the call sign “Vector.”
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Footage showed Ukrainian personnel preparing various unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for launch.
While some drones were equipped with warheads, others were launched without payloads and used as decoys.
“Some are empty, some with a payload. The payload is small, but it is enough to destroy air-defense systems,” Vector told CNN.
The report also described a jet-powered drone that appears as a missile on radar, complicating interception efforts.
According to Vector, Ukraine’s long-range program relies on a decentralized structure, making it harder for Russia to disrupt operations.
“We don’t have any common centers and we use dozens of places. Also, the software gives us a chance to work with thousands of UAVs,” he said.
Following this, CNN reported that Ukraine is expanding its use of drones to wear down Russian defenses and create openings for follow-on attacks.
Around 200 drones were reportedly prepared for launch from multiple locations on the night journalists visited the unit.
Additional reporting by RBC-Ukraine suggested that Ukraine may be using an AI system, likely linked to Palantir’s PRISMA platform, to support these military operations.
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According to the outlet, AI is used to process real-time battlefield data, including flight paths, radar coverage and interception patterns.
The system can analyze:
- Previous interception points
- Coverage of Russian air defense systems
- Routes that avoid detection
- Density of air defense activity
This allows Ukrainian forces to adjust drone routes in real time and exploit gaps in Russian defenses while improving the effectiveness of long-range strikes compared to conventional drone operations.
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