Ukraine Destroys Russia's New AI Strike Drone On One Of First Sorties

Russia's highly touted AI drone didn't last long in the real world. In one of its first few sorties over the front, Ukrainian gunners from the 118th Mechanized Brigade shot one down with what they thought was remarkable ease. 

The Russian drone is made with smuggled foreign technology and Chinese parts. Back to the drawing board, comrades. JL

Vlad Litnaroych reports in United24:

Ukrainian forces  have destroyed a newly developed Russian strike drone known as the Klin which Moscow had promoted as an AI-enabled, Shahed-type unmanned system. The drone was intercepted and eliminated during one of its first combat sorties after entering the 118th Mechanized brigade’s area of responsibility on February 10th. Russian developers had claimed the drone could autonomously detect and strike targets at  distances of up to 120 kilometers. In its initial real-world use, the aircraft was quickly shot down by Ukrainian defenders.

Why the US 'Fast Track' Ukraine-Russia Peace Proposal Is Likely To Fail

The Trump administration wants a fast track peace deal because ending the war was a signature claim of his campaign in 2024. So as midterm elections approach in which his party's prospects are diminishing - to put it kindly - he is looking for 'wins' to burnish his reputation as a leader. 

The problem is that his pal, Putin's, army remains incapable of winning on the battlefield while he is maintaining is maximalist demands from four years ago. Demands he has been unable to achieve on his own. To reach a deal under current circumstances would mean Ukraine surrendering on multiple points which, due to their military prowess, they do not need to do. And finally, neither Trump nor Putin are known for honoring any agreements on any subject, so no one in Europe will trust them to keep their word on this one, making all the fast track huffing and puffing a performative waste of time. JL

Mick Ryan reports in Futura Doctrina:

Why might the Administration want to fast-track a peace deal? Trump wants to deliver on his promise to end the war in Ukraine (before this year's mid-term elections). Second, he and his supporters economic opportunities in Russia. (But) Putin has shown zero inclination to change his strategic demands to destroy Ukraine’s sovereignty. (And) he cannot afford peace right now. Russia is not anywhere close to a victory, so ending the conflict could be fatal for Putin. There is no conceivable future where Putin keeps his word about any peace deal. He and his forces have ignored multiple agreements reached during this war, as well as truce agreements in Ukraine that Russia began in 2014.

Ukraine Smashes Latest Russian Armor Assault On Pokrovsk

Ukrainian forces defending Pokrovsk smashed a company sized Russian attack - the largest the Kremlin is now capable of mounting - killing the Russian troops and destroying their armored vehicles. 

This is latest repulsion of a Russian attack in the Pokrovsk sector since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian commanders report that the Russians are not as capable or forceful in attacking as they were three months ago due to manpower and logistics problems which have plagued the Russians for the past year. JL

Julia Struck reports in the Kyiv Post:

In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian forces repelled a large-scale Russian breakthrough attempt by mobile assault groups, with two days of fierce fighting ending in the complete defeat of Moscow’s troops. Aerial reconnaissance detected Russian movements in time, allowing Ukrainian units to strike and disrupt the offensive. As a result, an entire Russian assault company - typically 45 to 360 personnel, depending on unit type - and their equipment were destroyed. Russian forces are also suffering heavy losses from lack of body armor and, because of minimal logistics, frostbite. Ukrainian defenders report the Russians are not as able to carry out assaults as they were three months ago.

AI Unicorn Founders Get Younger, Firms Scale 2 Years Faster Vs Other Industries

AI is a newer technology, so it stands to reason that founders of AI startups, particularly those which attain billion dollar 'unicorn' status, would be younger, reflecting the recency of developments in the field and their training in academia or research labs. of other fields, founders are actually getting older, with an average of 12+ years of experience, reflecting the benefits of learning how - or how not - to manage and grow profitably. 

AI startups are also scaling faster than those in other industries due to the combined pressure of FOMO  and the staggering costs required to achieve and then maintain competitiveness. It is prudent to assume that this age 'advantage' will disappear as the technology matures, competition stiffens and the demand for optimization highlights other leadership characteristics. JL

Sawdah Bhaimiya reports in CNBC:

A new report by early-stage venture capital firm Antler, found the age of founders of AI unicorns has fallen from age 40 in 2021 to 29 in 2024. Antler analyzed 1,629 unicorns and 3,512 founders globally. In other industries, founder age is rising. In 2014, the average unicorn founder was 30 at the time of launch, compared with 34 for those who reached unicorn status between 2022 and 2024. Many founders are in their mid-to late-20s, often coming straight from academia or research labs rather than corporate careers. AI startups are scaling two years faster than other industries, reaching unicorn status in an average of 4.7 years. "To be technically fluent with a lot of the emerging technology, it helps to be young, because that’s what you’ve learned recently.”

Ukraine Teaches NATO It Takes 60 Hours To Train Competent Drone Pilot

Ukrainian instructors are telling NATO militaries whom they have been asked to train on drone warfare that it takes approximately 60 hours to mold a 'competent' drone pilot. 

Of that time, half is spent on a simulator and the rest on actual flying in the field. The success Ukraine has had against Russia in drone warfare suggests that they have analyzed their requirements and honed their skills accordingly. JL

Sinead Baker reports in Business Insider:

Sixty hours is typically the minimum requirement for pilot competence, according to Ukrainian troops training British and other NATO forces. a decent pilot needs at least 30 hours on a simulator and 30 hours of actual flying in the field. At about 60 hours, "they are pretty competent at being able to fly different types of drones.' After that, improvement comes with repetition and exposure to more systems. The US army has also been learning from Ukraine about the value of simulators in drone training at its Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama — designed to help the service catch up on drone warfare

As Russia Lost Starlink, Ukraine Attacks Gained At Huliaipole, Dobropillia

The Ukrainians know an opportunity when they see one. Russia's smuggled and stolen Starlink terminals were taken out of service by SpaceX, disabling Russian drones and disrupting communications between Russian units. 

Seeing and hearing this, the Ukrainians have launched counterattacks across the front, but especially at Dobropillia north of Pokrovsk and at Huliaipole in the south. The result has been the recapture of territory as the Russians are degraded. JL 

David Axe reports in Trench Art:

For the Ukrainian armed forces, the sudden Starlink gap was an opportunity. A few days after Russia's terminals went down, Ukrainian forces counterattacked in several sectors along the 1,200-km front line—especially in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. On Feb. 5, the Ukrainian assault forces west of Huliaipole attacked along nine vectors. Other forces raced south to join the assault units already in the area. The 425th Assault Regiment—previously fighting around Pokrovsk—brought its newly delivered ex-Australian M-1A1 Abrams tanks. The regiment has up-armored some of the M-1s with Russian-style "hedgehog" anti-drone armor.

AI Cost 2nd Largest In US History, More Than Highways, Railroads, Moon Land

The amount of money tech companies are spending on building data centers and other infrastructure to support their development of AI is approaching the largest in US history, exceeding, in adjusted terms, the investment in the nation's railroads, interstate highway system - and only slightly less than what it cost to acquire the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States. 

The only question is whether this investment will pay off like those did. JL

Meghan Bobrowsky and colleagues report in the Wall Street Journal:

It’s dwarfed only by the Louisiana Purchase, completed in 1803, which doubled the size of the U.S. It's bigger than the railroad expansion of the 1850s, the Apollo space program that put astronauts on the moon in the 1960s and the decadeslong build-out of the U.S. interstate highway system that ended in the 1970s. We're talking about data centers being built in the AI boom. Microsoft's, Amazon's, Alphabet's and Meta's capital spending has increased as a percentage of their revenues in the past few years. In 2026, Meta’s spending could amount to more than 50% of its sales for the first time ever.