Samuel Bendett
@sambendett.bsky.social
Uncrewed, autonomous, robotic systems and Artificial Intelligence. Russian and Ukrainian weapons development. CNA, CNAS and CSIS. Opinions my own.
Rybar, one of the most active pro-Kremlin TG channels, on the benefit of Venezuelan forces using FPV drones against a possible US military action: “A 40km-range FPV drone is a cheap coastal defense that could prevent US landing and event target US sites in Trinidad and Tobago.” t.me/rybar/74902
November 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Rybar, one of the most active pro-Kremlin TG channels, on the benefit of Venezuelan forces using FPV drones against a possible US military action: “A 40km-range FPV drone is a cheap coastal defense that could prevent US landing and event target US sites in Trinidad and Tobago.” t.me/rybar/74902
Russia's Rubicon Center recruitment ad, showing DJI quadcopters, FPV drones attacking Western tanks and heavy multirotor UAVs, and a glimpse of a USV operated by this unit - the voice over says "The future arrived yesterday - become a part of it." t.me/RUSSIARB/3409
November 2, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Russia's Rubicon Center recruitment ad, showing DJI quadcopters, FPV drones attacking Western tanks and heavy multirotor UAVs, and a glimpse of a USV operated by this unit - the voice over says "The future arrived yesterday - become a part of it." t.me/RUSSIARB/3409
Russian military's ZALA ISR UAV and Lancet loitering munition tandem is a powerful combination - now, according to state media, the Russian MOD wants to launch Skat 350M ISR drone to guide KUB loitering munitions in another attack tandem. tass.com/defense/2038...
November 2, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Russian military's ZALA ISR UAV and Lancet loitering munition tandem is a powerful combination - now, according to state media, the Russian MOD wants to launch Skat 350M ISR drone to guide KUB loitering munitions in another attack tandem. tass.com/defense/2038...
Rus tactical UGV with an EW system against drones t.me/official_49_...
October 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Rus tactical UGV with an EW system against drones t.me/official_49_...
Russian MOD: "Each unit of the Southern force grouping has workshops for the assembly, restoration, development, and modernization of robotic equipment. In October alone, unmanned ground robotic platforms delivered over 1.5 tons of payload to combat positions." tass.ru/armiya-i-opk...
October 24, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Russian MOD: "Each unit of the Southern force grouping has workshops for the assembly, restoration, development, and modernization of robotic equipment. In October alone, unmanned ground robotic platforms delivered over 1.5 tons of payload to combat positions." tass.ru/armiya-i-opk...
Photos of Russian DIY USV in production. Planned 30 Hp engine, USV carries 100kg. t.me/fpvcovenant/...
October 21, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Photos of Russian DIY USV in production. Planned 30 Hp engine, USV carries 100kg. t.me/fpvcovenant/...
What kind of adversary can the US military potentially encounter around the world? How about a non-state/terrorist/secessionist group armed with FPV and VTOL drones and fiber optic UAVs? That's already the case in Africa. lawfaremedia.org/article/afri...
October 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
What kind of adversary can the US military potentially encounter around the world? How about a non-state/terrorist/secessionist group armed with FPV and VTOL drones and fiber optic UAVs? That's already the case in Africa. lawfaremedia.org/article/afri...
Russians continue debating how their unmanned systems forces should be structured: this opinion notes that UAVs must be integrated at all levels and become an organic part of military units instead of becoming a separate formation t.me/kcpn2014/3495
October 14, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Russians continue debating how their unmanned systems forces should be structured: this opinion notes that UAVs must be integrated at all levels and become an organic part of military units instead of becoming a separate formation t.me/kcpn2014/3495
Rus mil blogger on the field hazard of mice that chew through and damage all kinds of video and comms cables on the frontlines, as well as batteries and even UAVs as well: "We tried everything and nothing works against them" t.me/rumilornitho...
October 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Rus mil blogger on the field hazard of mice that chew through and damage all kinds of video and comms cables on the frontlines, as well as batteries and even UAVs as well: "We tried everything and nothing works against them" t.me/rumilornitho...
Ukraine's Texty media on the gray zone in the war - an area that stretches 25-30 km, and as much as 40km, "a chaotic kill zone riddled with trenches, dugouts, mines and rubble, constantly monitored and hit by drones, with both sides using a wide range of weapons." texty.org.ua/projects/115...
October 3, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Ukraine's Texty media on the gray zone in the war - an area that stretches 25-30 km, and as much as 40km, "a chaotic kill zone riddled with trenches, dugouts, mines and rubble, constantly monitored and hit by drones, with both sides using a wide range of weapons." texty.org.ua/projects/115...
How much do Rus FPV drone pilots/operators make? These are salary examples advertised by "Stalin's Falcons" unit: junior FPV specialists make 500K rubles/month, FPV unit commanders make up to 650K rubles/month. Average Rus monthly salary? About 100K rubles. t.me/uav_tech/33743
September 15, 2025 at 1:04 PM
How much do Rus FPV drone pilots/operators make? These are salary examples advertised by "Stalin's Falcons" unit: junior FPV specialists make 500K rubles/month, FPV unit commanders make up to 650K rubles/month. Average Rus monthly salary? About 100K rubles. t.me/uav_tech/33743
Ukraine's asymmetric UAV victory: An interceptor drone flown by Madyar's Birds, Ukraine's top UAV unit, has shot down Russia's heavy Orion UCAV. t.me/robert_magya...
September 14, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Ukraine's asymmetric UAV victory: An interceptor drone flown by Madyar's Birds, Ukraine's top UAV unit, has shot down Russia's heavy Orion UCAV. t.me/robert_magya...
Ambush drones are a new menace for logistics, supply and evac routes. A recent video of a Ukrainian drone coming upon and subsequently destroying several Russian fiber-optic ambush drones (probably "KVN" types) waiting on a road to disrupt Ukrainian logistics routes. t.me/texotdelBPLA...
September 11, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Ambush drones are a new menace for logistics, supply and evac routes. A recent video of a Ukrainian drone coming upon and subsequently destroying several Russian fiber-optic ambush drones (probably "KVN" types) waiting on a road to disrupt Ukrainian logistics routes. t.me/texotdelBPLA...
Russian military bloggers continue to argue that frontline DIY developments "from shit and sticks" (in this case, a simple plywood drone with a claimed range of 50 km and a 4kg cargo) outpace tech developments in the rear that still seek out "office doors" (official approval) t.me/potapov_npp/...
September 9, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Russian military bloggers continue to argue that frontline DIY developments "from shit and sticks" (in this case, a simple plywood drone with a claimed range of 50 km and a 4kg cargo) outpace tech developments in the rear that still seek out "office doors" (official approval) t.me/potapov_npp/...
Interesting NYT article on how tanks have evolved in Ukraine combat to counter drones. nytimes.com/interactive/...
September 9, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Interesting NYT article on how tanks have evolved in Ukraine combat to counter drones. nytimes.com/interactive/...
"A private military company without drones or electronic warfare systems is essentially unable to operate in modern conditions": Erik Prince, Founder of Blackwater, Seeks to Acquire Ukrainian Drone Manufacturers militarnyi.com/en/news/erik...
September 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM
"A private military company without drones or electronic warfare systems is essentially unable to operate in modern conditions": Erik Prince, Founder of Blackwater, Seeks to Acquire Ukrainian Drone Manufacturers militarnyi.com/en/news/erik...
A Russian video of a "Pusher" counter-UAV drone with recoilless firing mechanisms that apparently has machine vison for target recognition and (apparently) autonomous destruction. t.me/orda_pilot/171
September 7, 2025 at 12:24 PM
A Russian video of a "Pusher" counter-UAV drone with recoilless firing mechanisms that apparently has machine vison for target recognition and (apparently) autonomous destruction. t.me/orda_pilot/171
A Russian instruction on countering and hiding against the drone swarm: "Remember - what saves you is masking/camouflage + dense fires + discipline." t.me/battle_unit/...
September 7, 2025 at 12:17 PM
A Russian instruction on countering and hiding against the drone swarm: "Remember - what saves you is masking/camouflage + dense fires + discipline." t.me/battle_unit/...
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces now have a “kill counter” for its top units - you can track each team’s combat stats in real time. sbs-group.army
September 5, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces now have a “kill counter” for its top units - you can track each team’s combat stats in real time. sbs-group.army
1/3 Russian state media on the new training "Makarovets" USV built for its Navy: "It is designed for the cadets of the Pacific Higher Naval School, is equipped with radio comms and Wi-Fi), has simplified controls and two electric motors."
September 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
1/3 Russian state media on the new training "Makarovets" USV built for its Navy: "It is designed for the cadets of the Pacific Higher Naval School, is equipped with radio comms and Wi-Fi), has simplified controls and two electric motors."
Ukrainian forces identifying and destroying Russian ambush drones along the roads. Some of these Russian drones look like fiber-optic "KVN" quadcopters flown by the Rubicon Center units. t.me/army_tv/12299
September 4, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Ukrainian forces identifying and destroying Russian ambush drones along the roads. Some of these Russian drones look like fiber-optic "KVN" quadcopters flown by the Rubicon Center units. t.me/army_tv/12299
Russia's DIY "friend or foe" identification for tactical drones - "given so many UAVs overhead, we used the tried-and-true red tape method that is clearly visible against the sky." t.me/groza_bird/45
September 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Russia's DIY "friend or foe" identification for tactical drones - "given so many UAVs overhead, we used the tried-and-true red tape method that is clearly visible against the sky." t.me/groza_bird/45
Russian state media discusses growing use of Russian USVs for logistics and supply during Dnieper river operations. iz.ru/1946707/roma...
September 3, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Russian state media discusses growing use of Russian USVs for logistics and supply during Dnieper river operations. iz.ru/1946707/roma...
More Russian video footage of the Courier UGV as a logistics and supply platform t.me/ChDambiev/37...
September 3, 2025 at 3:59 PM
More Russian video footage of the Courier UGV as a logistics and supply platform t.me/ChDambiev/37...
Ground Robots to Proliferate on Ukraine Battlefields Following Success of Drones www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/202...
September 3, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Ground Robots to Proliferate on Ukraine Battlefields Following Success of Drones www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/202...