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Drones

Drones
The latest news, analysis and opinion on drones, especially Chinese drone makers and drone usage.
A PLA social media account posted imagery showing Taipei 101, purportedly taken from a PLA military drone during military exercises around Taiwan this week. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

Just how close did a PLA drone come to the heart of Taipei during drill?

Footage shared by a mainland military social media account shows Taipei 101 but it’s not clear when it was taken.

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Ukraine war

Russia claims 24 dead in Ukrainian strike on occupied Kherson despite peace talks

Ukraine war

CIA concludes Ukraine did not target Putin’s residence in drone strike

China's military weapons

Is China’s truck-mounted catapult system enabling merchant aircraft carriers?

Scalable truck-based launch track pictured on modified cargo ship raises questions about drone war potential.

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Three trucks linked to form what appears to be a launch track for large drones have been spotted at a dock in China. Photo: Handout
Ukraine war

US Nato envoy casts doubt on Russian claim Ukraine attacked Putin residence

Matthew Whitaker says it’s ‘unclear’ alleged attack on Putin residence happened, as Moscow vows retaliation for ‘terrorist act’.

US-China relations

‘No worries’: Trump plays down Beijing’s military drills around Taiwan

Trump dismisses ‘routine’ drills in Taiwan Strait even as US arms sales hit record high and Pentagon repeats 2027 timeline.

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Ukraine war

Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence, but Zelensky denies it

Ukraine denies accusation as a fabrication after Trump said he was ‘angry’ when Putin told him about the alleged attack.

Satellite imagery from 2023 shows Vladimir Putin’s residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod, Russia. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters
Robotics

Chinese robot vacuum maker Dreame gives staff gifts of gold, trip to Antarctica

Dreame’s surprise largesse reflects its robust business growth in 2025, as it remains one of the world’s top robot vacuum cleaner brands.

Ukraine war

Ukraine peace requires ‘a willing Russia’, says Canada’s PM Carney

Carney denounced the ‘barbarism’ of Moscow’s latest attack on Kyiv as Zelensky stopped in Nova Scotia before flying to Florida to meet Trump.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky says Kyiv strike proves Russia does ‘not want to end war’

Moscow hit the Ukrainian capital with nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles a day ahead of US-Ukraine talks, leaving a third of Kyiv without heat.

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An explosion lights up the sky over Kyiv during a Russian missile and drone strike on Saturday, Photo: . Reuters
Ukraine war

Inside Chernobyl: Ukraine races to repair radiation shield as war drags on

While engineers scramble to patch drone damage at Chernobyl, Ukraine’s president holds ‘substantive’ talks with US envoys.

The damaged cover after a drone attack in February. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

‘Bad policy’: China’s drone makers to shrug off US ban, analysts say

The addition of foreign drone makers, including those from China, to a US trade blacklist is unlikely to heat up relations, observers said.

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China's military weapons

‘Saturation attacks’: drone swarms key for wartime victory, PLA Daily says

Concentrated UAV swarms seen to allow ‘optimal combat effectiveness with minimal battlefield expenditure’.

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Ukraine war

Huge drone barrage ‘strikes Ukraine before Christmas’, killing 3

The latest attack, targeting homes and the power grid, came when people want to be ‘at home, in safety’, said President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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A Ukrainian rescuer in the Chernihiv region works to extinguish a fire following the latest drone strikes by Russia. Photo: Handout via AFP
US-China trade war

US adds new models of China’s DJI and all other foreign drones to its blacklist

The FCC move, which does not affect existing DJI models, is a significant escalation in Washington’s battle to crack down on Chinese drones.

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A drone on display at DJI’s flagship shop in Hong Kong. The Trump administration has barred the approval of Shenzhen-based DJI’s new models. Photo: Reuters
Africa

Sudan war drags on as drone attack kills 10 in Darfur market

The conflict has split Sudan in two as the army controls the north, east and centre while the UAE-backed RSF dominates Darfur and parts of the south.

Low-altitude economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

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Japan

Bear aware: Japanese drone school develops AI system to track animals

The new system being developed in Akita prefecture can detect bears and share their locations via smartphones.

D-Academy Tohoku tests a bear-detection drone at a zoo in Kitaakita, Akita prefecture, in April. Photo: D-Academy Tohoku/Kyodo
Ukraine war

Ukraine claims disabled Russian submarine in first underwater drone attack

Ukraine says strike is a historic first, but Russia denies attack caused any damage.

China's military weapons

China’s latest stealth endurance drone, CH-7, completes maiden flight

Designer says UAV can quickly penetrate target areas for reconnaissance and rely on stealth to send information from battle front lines.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine retakes Kharkiv areas as Russian troops ‘completely cut off’ in Kupiansk

Disputing Moscow’s claim of controlling Kupiansk, Ukraine retakes villages and isolates Russian troops amid fierce eastern battles.

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Ukrainian servicemen during military training near Kupiansk ,Kharkiv region, Ukraine, in November. Photo: EPA/127th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defence
China's military weapons

China’s drone carrier Jiu Tian takes flight to signal PLA swarm capacity boost

Xinhua hails ‘breakthrough in China’s large drone technology’, says Jiu Tian could also be deployed in wide range of civilian applications.

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China says its Jiu Tian aerial “drone carrier” has completed its maiden flight in the western province of Shaanxi, described as a “breakthrough” by state media. Photo: Weibo/人民日报
Thailand

Video | Thai military drones strike Cambodian border

At least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have died in the most recent border clashes.

Africa

33 children killed in drone attack by Sudan paramilitaries, doctors say

17 adults were also killed in the strike on a kindergarten, which drew condemnation from the Sudan Doctors’ Network.

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Ukraine war

Why more women are embracing combat roles in Ukraine’s military

Equipment such as drones has opened up new paths for women and helped them overcome resistance in the military.

Monka, an FPV drone operator from the third assault brigade, assembles an FPV drone in November, in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Photo: AP
France

Drones buzz French nuclear base amid Russian hybrid warfare fears

Marines deployed electronic jammers against five suspected devices spotted hovering over the Ile Longue submarine facility.

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A nuclear submarine at the naval base in Ile Longue, western France. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Chernobyl safety shield damaged, UN confirms. Ukraine blames Russian drones

Despite the loss of ‘confinement capability’ at the notorious nuclear plant, IAEA officials report no radiation leaks.

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Ukraine war

Drones spotted near Zelensky’s flight path to Dublin spark security alert

Report says enquiries are trying to determine whether the drones took off from land or an undetected ship.

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