Theater-first intel feed with the current analysis and latest brief cards for the selected hotspot.
◈ Theater Assessment
European allied drone posture remains on an expansionary trajectory with no new reporting in the current window materially altering the July 21 assessment. The RAF's Storm Fighter program — anchored by Storm Chrome (EW wingman) and Storm Fire (expendable strike) — continues to define the alliance's leading edge in crewed-uncrewed teaming doctrine, with no follow-on developments superseding the original July 16 disclosure. The sanctions-circumvention supply-chain gap and the Thales RapidDestroyer directed-energy benchmark remain the dominant unresolved vulnerability and counter-UAS milestone respectively.
◈ Key Developments
Current brief cards for this theater.
The vessel, identified as an AEGIR-W variant, came aground on a beach in the Yüceler neighborhood of Ünye district in Ordu province.
Ukraine's intelligence agency has published interactive 3D models, components, and electronic parts of the Russian Lancet and Scalpel drones, along with data on the companies involved in their production.
This is the first of a two-part series looking at single Russian mass missile/drone assault on Ukraine, with a focus on the Kremlin’s airstrike package and Ukrainian defense tactics against it.
◈ Operational Trend
European allied UAS development continues to diversify across EW, expendable strike, and maritime ISR domains faster than alliance policy can close supply-chain enforcement gaps — the structural imbalance between capability expansion and industrial security remediation remains the dominant operational risk trend.
Zelenskyy is calling for shadow fleet tankers to be stopped in European waters, not escorted through.
Move to allow shipments already at sea comes amid a supply crisis and after US president says he does not ‘want to do a ceasefire’; IDF says it is attacking regime targets in Tehran after missiles fired at Israel from Iran US to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports say How the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globe Saudi Arabia has said it is continuing to intercept and destroy drones in recent hours . The defence ministry, quoting a spokesperson, said on Saturday in the last of a series of social media posts that it had intercepted five drones in its eastern region. The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Continue reading...
This blog is now closed – our live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran continues in a new blog here Kuwait’s state oil firm KPC said its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by multiple drone attacks early on Friday , causing a fire in some units, with no initial casualties reported, the state news agency said. Firefighters responded immediately, with several units shut down as a precaution to ensure workers’ safety. Continue reading...
In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer is joined by Dr. Anthony Tingle, an independent researcher who has made nine trips to Ukraine since the start […] The post Urban Warfare Project Podcast: Drones and Urban Warfare in Ukraine first appeared on Modern War Institute .
Kyiv’s forces have unique experience in defending against Iranian-made drones, making Ukrainian industry and expertise a hot commodity.
In 2025, a NATO exercise in Estonia revealed the structural vulnerability that modern mechanized forces can no longer afford to ignore. During the Hedgehog 2025 exercise, a Ukrainian team of […] The post Drone Warfare and the Future of Korean Armor first appeared on Modern War Institute .
At first glance, placing Army modernization of small unmanned aircraft systems—sUAS—under the leadership of the aviation branch seems reasonable. After all, sUAS fly and share battlefield airspace with crewed aircraft, […] The post Who Owns the Drones? Why Modernization of Army Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Should Be a Maneuver Responsibility first appeared on Modern War Institute .
In an exclusive interview, a logistics coordinator of Ukraine’s 423rd UAS Battalion speaks about drone warfare, shifting battlefield tactics, and why he believes Russia’s war goes far beyond Ukraine.