{"id":16847,"date":"2026-07-09T20:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T20:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=16847"},"modified":"2026-07-09T20:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T20:40:08","slug":"american-made-technology-guiding-ukraines-strikes-into-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=16847","title":{"rendered":"American-made technology guiding Ukraine&#8217;s strikes into Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><em>KYIV, Ukraine \u2014<\/em>\u00a0In early March, an American-made reconnaissance aircraft glided above Ukraine&#8217;s choppy Black Sea waters, scanning for Russian targets below. As it approached a gas field just off Ukraine&#8217;s southern coast, operators monitoring the feed saw what appeared to be Russian soldiers and military equipment on top of an oil rig.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Calling in a fleet of sea drones, Ukraine&#8217;s navy began firing on the rig. When a nearby Russian Ka-27 helicopter landed to evacuate personnel and equipment, a Ukrainian aerial drone swooped down, exploding on contact with the aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The engagement cost Russia over $1.5 million in military equipment, and according to Ukraine&#8217;s navy, destroyed a key Russian platform for strikes into neighboring Ukrainian regions. It was one early example of <span class=\"link\">a more aggressive Ukrainian strategy<\/span> to use longer-range strike drones to deplete Russia&#8217;s resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/6248e71c-37ce-4ce5-aac6-4c793aa43edd\/thumbnail\/620x413\/11142936302c578800543a82542a8646\/gettyimages-2281551932.jpg#\" alt=\"Oil refinery in Moscow hit by large-scale Ukrainian drone attack, mayor says \" height=\"413\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/6248e71c-37ce-4ce5-aac6-4c793aa43edd\/thumbnail\/620x413\/11142936302c578800543a82542a8646\/gettyimages-2281551932.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/6248e71c-37ce-4ce5-aac6-4c793aa43edd\/thumbnail\/1240x826\/f909659a7039e2915542af2ef4fedf69\/gettyimages-2281551932.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">Black smoke billows from the area of Gazprom Neft&#8217;s Moscow oil refinery, located on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow, on June 18, 2026, following what the Russian capital&#8217;s mayor described as a &#8220;large-scale&#8221; drone attack by Ukraine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Sefa Karacan\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since declared a 40-day &#8220;influence operation&#8221; that expires in early August to coerce Russia into ending its war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The reconnaissance aircraft that spotted the oil rig \u2014 a long-range surveillance drone known as the &#8220;V-BAT,&#8221; manufactured by the American defense firm Shield AI \u2014 has played an increasingly important role in this campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We focus on targets that are expensive, strategically valuable, or difficult to replace,&#8221; a Ukrainian naval V-BAT operator, who goes by the call sign &#8220;Negative,&#8221; said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The drones&#8217; reconnaissance flights deep inside Russia have allowed Kyiv to expand its strikes targeting military, energy and logistics infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One of its biggest advantages is its range,&#8221; the drone operator said. &#8220;Because the V-BAT can observe from long range, we&#8217;re able to confirm what&#8217;s there, collect detailed imagery, and provide intelligence without getting too close to the target.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In June, Ukraine nearly doubled its strikes more than 30 miles beyond Russia&#8217;s front lines, according to Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mikhailo Fedorov.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The strike campaign in and around the Black Sea has been especially effective. On Tuesday night, Ukraine&#8217;s military struck nine oil tankers in the Black Sea, operating as part of Russia&#8217;s shadow fleet. Last month, Russian officials suspended gas sales to civilians in Crimea, the southern Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fedorov said his drones will soon turn Crimea &#8220;into an island,&#8221; isolating it from Russia&#8217;s mainland.<\/p>\n<p>The strategy&#8217;s success might have seemed unthinkable a year ago. In March 2025, the U.S. stopped providing certain forms of intelligence for Ukraine to strike inside Russia, forcing Kyiv to turn to other partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said in January that two-thirds of the intelligence Ukraine receives now comes from France.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With the United States stepping back, we have obviously started to try to engage European countries more,&#8221; Taras Chmut, a defense expert with Ukraine&#8217;s Come Back Alive Foundation, said in an interview earlier this year. &#8220;They may be somewhat more technologically limited, but they are faster in making decisions than the Americans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reconnaissance drones have also helped fill the void. Ukrainian manufacturers have increased the range of their own surveillance aircraft by equipping them with Starlink terminals. But operators say the V-BAT offers unique capabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We use a few other systems, but none of them offer the same range as the V-BAT. They can&#8217;t compete with it in terms of endurance or communications,&#8221; Negative, the drone operator, said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/10300e6f-c23f-4fab-912e-e90f941d9a28\/thumbnail\/620x413g6\/eb3c3cf4e63b2c4d6ce75cbe8d3af5ff\/ap26154237651658.jpg#\" alt=\"APTOPIX Russia Drone Attack \" height=\"413\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/10300e6f-c23f-4fab-912e-e90f941d9a28\/thumbnail\/620x413g6\/eb3c3cf4e63b2c4d6ce75cbe8d3af5ff\/ap26154237651658.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/07\/09\/10300e6f-c23f-4fab-912e-e90f941d9a28\/thumbnail\/1240x826g6\/5f395baf92cce5c75d0ebb2340f97f99\/ap26154237651658.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">A plume of black smoke is seen over the port of St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, after a Ukrainian drone attack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                AP<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The intelligence the aircraft provides is crucial not only for selecting targets but also for identifying Russian air defenses that stand in the way, experts say. According to Fabian Hoffman, a Ukrainian defense expert, one of the key reasons for Ukraine&#8217;s recent successes striking deep into Russia is a yearslong &#8220;shaping campaign&#8221; that has taken out Russian air defense assets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian officials say the V-BAT has helped identify the location of Russia&#8217;s more expensive air defenses, such as its S-400 systems. The aircraft also has AI software on board that programs its routes based on the locations of known Russian air defenses.<\/p>\n<p>Shield AI employees in Ukraine say the data and feedback they receive for the drones&#8217; missions is crucial to their aircraft and software, which require constant improvements. According to a Reuters investigation earlier this year, the V-BAT has crashed more than 50 times over the past 18 months in flights across the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Operators in Ukraine say the wartime environment is the only place where necessary changes can be made.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For example, if Russian electronic warfare begins operating on a particular frequency, our operators report that information. When those frequencies change, we receive new reports and adjust,&#8221; Alex, a Ukrainian veteran and Shield AI field operator, said. &#8220;That information is important because it allows us to understand how we need to update the aircraft.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian soldiers, who are adapting technology at a pace few peacetime militaries can match, said they hope more American companies will develop technologies alongside them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are working all the time as a team. We go into the field and get the important information we need for us and they are receiving information that they need to update the aircraft itself,&#8221; Negative, the drone operator, said. &#8220;So it improves both them and us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n<\/section>\n<p>  <!-- data-recirc-source=\"queryly\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation  \">\n<p><h3 class=\"component__title\">More from CBS News<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"component__item-recirc-block\">\n<p><h3 class=\"component__title\">Go deeper with The Free Press<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n      <!-- tags --><\/p>\n<section class=\"content__tags\">\n<p class=\"content__tags__label\">In:<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> American-made technology guiding Ukraine&#8217;s strikes into Russia<br \/>\n<br \/>#Americanmade #technology #guiding #Ukraines #strikes #Russia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KYIV, Ukraine \u2014\u00a0In early March, an American-made reconnaissance aircraft glided above Ukraine&#8217;s choppy Black Sea&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[14019,14020,993,1030,180,2418],"class_list":["post-16847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-americanmade","tag-guiding","tag-russia","tag-strikes","tag-technology","tag-ukraines"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658.jpg",1200,630,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-300x158.jpg",300,158,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-768x403.jpg",640,336,true],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-1024x538.jpg",640,336,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658.jpg",1200,630,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658.jpg",1200,630,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-1115x630.jpg",1115,630,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-1024x538.jpg",1024,538,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap26154237651658-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=9\" rel=\"category\">News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}