Drones

Four empty oil tanks were reportedly damaged, although it’s unclear whether the drones belong to Ukraine or RussiaLatvia is investigating two drones which entered its airspace from Russian territory overnight and crashed in eastern part of the country near an empty oil storage facility.Four empty oil tanks were reported damaged, with minor smouldering reported in one of the tanks. The local public broadcaster captured a drone flying in the area on their camera. Continue reading...

• SkyfireAI raised $11 million in funding to advance AI-driven autonomy in public safety and defense drones, announced this week amid booming AI investments. • The funding supports development of autonomous drone technologies tailored for critical missions, positioning the startup in high-stakes defense applications. • This reflects surging investor confidence in AI hardware integrations, following Big Tech earnings boosted by AI spending from Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.

• SkyfireAI Inc., a US-based autonomous drone startup, raised $11 million in new funding to advance dual-use technology. • The investment targets AI autonomy for public safety, defense, and commercial drone applications. • This funding accelerates development amid rising demand for intelligent unmanned systems in critical sectors.

• Russia conducted one of the most intense single-day aerial assaults on Ukraine during the second year of the conflict, firing 659 drones and 44 long-range missiles at major cities. • Ukrainian officials reported widespread devastation including strikes on residential buildings, critical infrastructure, and southern port hubs, resulting in dozens of casualties and extensive damage. • The massive attack underscores the ongoing intensity of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and its humanitarian toll on civilian populations.

Chief inspector for England and Wales says prison remains in ‘precarious state’ more than year after urgent notificationThe Prison Service has made “very little progress” in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded.Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a “precarious state” after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs. Continue reading...

• Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 15 US service members and destroying a US military E-3 Century radar aircraft. • The attack resulted in at least 13 US service members killed to date, prompting the Pentagon to prepare for weeks of potential ground conflict in Iran according to The Washington Post. • President Trump is reportedly considering a military operation in response, with 3,500 additional US troops beginning to arrive in the region as part of a broader deployment now exceeding 50,000 personnel.

• The United States is broadening national security restrictions beyond telecommunications infrastructure to encompass consumer technology products such as routers and drones. • This expansion reflects growing concerns about foreign influence and vulnerabilities in consumer-grade technology that could pose risks to national security infrastructure. • The move represents an escalation in regulatory oversight of the tech sector as the government seeks to protect critical systems and supply chains from potential threats.