Russian Troops Hit By Machine Gun Realized Too Late It Was A Ground Drone

For the Russians, confusing, demoralizing - and lethal.

For the Ukrainians, effective. JL

Vlad Litnarovych reports in United 24:

Ukraine's 33rd Assault Regiment carried out a combat assault using armed ground robots and drones, destroying a Russian position without sending Ukrainian infantry into the assault zone on July 17. The operation combined two Droid TW-12.7 unmanned ground vehicles with reconnaissance and strike UAVs. According to intercepted Russian communications cited in the report, troops at the position told their commanders they were taking machine-gun fire but could not identify the shooter. The fire was coming from the remotely operated ground vehicles. All Russian troops at the site were eliminated. No Ukrainian personnel entered the assault zone. 

German-Made Ukraine Skynex Shoots 11 Russian Shaheds, 1 Missile At Once

The Ukrainians are showing western countries how to most effectively deploy and use their expensive weapons systems. 

Shooting down 11 Shahed drones and a cruise missile from one Skynex air defense system at one site in a single engagement demonstrates a level of Ukrainian skill and mastery to which NATO can only aspire right now. JL

Wes O'Donnell reports in Medium:

A Ukrainian German-made Skynex system shot down 12 Russian targets in a single engagement: one cruise missile and 11 Shaheds. It is a short-range, gun-based air-defense battery that networks together a radar, a command-and-control node, and up to four 35mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 cannons, tied in with electro-optical trackers and radar-guided targeting. A standard Skynex “system” has four guns spread over 1–2-acres. Each round is programmed to burst 10 to 40 meters ahead of the target, ejecting a cloud of tungsten sub-projectiles. The drone then flies into that cloud. Each round costs a fraction of a surface-to-air missile, and a single system carries a deep magazine. Skynex lets Ukraine kill the cheap threats cheaply.

Expanded Drone Kill Zone Is Giving Ukraine Special Forces More Missions

Ukraine's special forces are taking advantage of the new opportunities the expanding kill zone affords them by launching more missions to disrupt and degrade Russian operations. 

The kill zone is currently 10 to 20 kilometers on either side of what used to be called the kill zone, but is could double in the next six to twelve months. The result is that there are more targets for small units of well trained operators to hit. JL

Jake Epstein reports in Business Insider:

Elite Ukrainian special operators are carrying out more infiltration missions into Russian-held territory as the drone-infested kill zone continues to grow, making larger maneuvers difficult. The kill zone varies in width across the battlefield, though it typically extends roughly 10 to 20 kilometers in either direction from the line of contact. However, Ukrainian soldiers and officials have said it is expanding, forcing commanders to make tactical adjustments.

Tech Workers Sell Out Their Careers To Train AI For Cash

The tech workers training AI to learn their jobs appear resigned to its inevitable dominance and so, apparently, believe they might as well make some money while they can - and also get to put "AI trainer" on their resumes. 

Not clear that this is really the future, but it is certainly the reality being trumpeted right now. JL

Lora Kelley reports in the New York Times:

Every day, Mercor, a start-up that sells training data to AI companies, pays 30,000 contractors more than $4 million to help make their jobs, and those of their colleagues, obsolete. No longer do the A.I. companies need armies of low-paid workers to tag images of cars or transcribe audio. They need mathematicians to annotate proofs, lawyers to mark up briefs and professors to grade essays. The main reasons people sign up for data-training gigs is, money. Workers who cobble together enough shifts can generate meaningful income. People sign up because they have been laid off, or because they can’t find enough work in their field. They might do it because they’re eager to get “A.I.” on their résumé, or because they need extra cash. Many people who contract for these companies understand that this is a short-term opportunity, a brief chance to train the models to automate jobs before they themselves are automated out of the job of training models. 

In Historic First, Ukraine F-16 Shoots Down Russian Su-35 In Aerial Combat

Quite an accomplishment by pilots who had never flown the F-16 before two years ago. 

It is significant also because it continues to demonstrate that the Ukrainians can not only learn to master western weaponry, but teach NATO forces a thing or two about how to use them effectively. JL

Dylan Malyasov reports in The Defense Blog:

A Ukrainian  F-16 pilot did something no American-made fighter jet had confirmed doing before in this war: shoot down a Russian warplane in air-to-air combat, according to General Dan Caine, the four-star Air Force officer who serves as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and holds the highest military rank in the US. The incident Caine referenced took place on July 8. Winning a straight air-to-air fight against a Su-35, a jet purpose-built for air superiority and one of Russia’s most capable fighters, would represent a genuine leap in how Ukrainian pilots are using the American-supplied aircraft.

Russia Throws Summer Reserves At Kupiansk As Heavy Losses Take Toll

In yet another attempt to attack Kupiansk - despite previous failures and ongoing heavy casualties, Russian forces have committed their summer reserve units. 

The move suggests that the Kremlin is loathe to admit its forces are incapable of offensive operations - even if those consist of sneaking infiltrators into a city, which is not exactly a demonstration of armed might. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

Russian forces significantly intensified offensive operations toward Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi and are attempting to slice through Ukrainian positions near Kivsharivka using summer reserve units against northern district lines in Kupyansk despite suffering heavy personnel losses. Russian forces are fighting to secure and expand a bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River while attempting to sneak reinforcements into Kupyansk whenever adverse weather limits Ukrainian drone operations.

Ukraine's New Military Chief Is Known For Boldness - and Accountability

President Zelensky has removed some of the sting of his questionable dismissal of widely respected Defense Minister Fedorov by firing Commander in Chief Syrski, replacing him with the most admired officer in his army, Mykhailo Drapatyi. 

Drapatyi is primarily known for two signature actions, which characterize his reputation. The first, in 2014, occurred when Russian separatists barricaded a road into Mariupol. He led his armored column to crash through the blockage, demonstrating that the nascent Ukrainian government would not be intimidated by provocateurs. In the second incident, last year, he resigned as Ground Forces commander after a Russian missile attack killed Ukrainian recruits at a training ground. Although not directly in charge of that site, he took responsibility for being in overall command to set an example for the army. He has been a successful combat leader, is respected by the troops for both his prowess and concern for them (the lack of the latter being a major criticism of Syrski) and looks to be a solid, well-received appointment. Zelensky will hopefully now keep his jealousy of subordinates in check. JL

Mick Ryan reports in the Lowy Institute and Stefan Korshak reports in the Kyiv Post:

President Zelenskyy yesterday dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief and appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, a professional officer who served his entire career in Ukraine's army. He has led troops in combat successfully, at every level of command. He is one of the most seasoned field commanders in the world. Drapatyi has a reputation as a modern, soldier-focused commander who seeks input from  subordinates, supports innovation – including Ukraine’s drones – and accepts responsibility when things go wrong. Drapaty became one of Ukraine’s first war heroes in 2014, at the head of an armored column in Mariupol. Encountering a pro-Russia militia barricade across a road, Drapaty riding an infantry fighting vehicle, drove to the front of the column and smashed through at maximum speed. He resigned as Ground Forces commander in 2025 after Russian strikes killed troops at a training ground, a rare act of accountability in any army.