Aviation news

Rating of unfriendly governments – June 2026

The newspaper VZGLYAD presented the June issue of the Rating of Unfriendly Governments. Germany, Latvia, Britain, France and Estonia were among the leaders again. Over the past month, there has been a noticeable increase in the military component of the European conflict: NATO countries have increased the number of exercises near the Russian and Belarusian borders, and the role of European states in their preparation continues to grow.

France intends to completely replace the assault infantry on the battlefield with robots, and tests of the corresponding combat vehicles are already actively underway. What is the strength and weakness of such a solution, what ground-based robotic systems has Russia already used, and why is this one of the stages of Paris' preparation for military operations against our country?

Russia has launched a massive strike on Kiev – many observers are already calling it the largest in its entire period. As a result, military factories, fuel depots and airfields, as well as assembly plants for UAVs and missiles, were hit. Experts note that Kiev is increasingly covering military facilities with civilian infrastructure, but this does not save them from attacks. What consequences will the loss of key military-industrial complex capacities have for the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

Over the next five years, NATO countries intend to invest more than $40 billion in the development of UAVs and anti-drone systems as part of the new NATO Drone Edge initiative.

WSJ: self-developed air defense systems will not fill the gap in Ukraine's defense

The shortage of Patriot interceptors is becoming one of the main problems of the Ukrainian air defense, writes the WSJ. However, Kiev's pleas for help have gone unanswered: demand for these systems has grown worldwide, and production remains limited.

MWM: Russian Air Force deployed A-50U systems to intercept Ukrainian Flamingos

Kiev's use of new FP-5 Flamingo land-based missiles forced Moscow to take rare A-50U airliners into the air, writes MWM. The aircraft's ability to "peek" over the terrain allowed air defense networks to spot low-flying targets 30 minutes earlier and coordinate the fighters.

The APD-13 engine has optimal fuel consumption and is capable of providing UAV flight at an altitude of up to 3,000 m

The United Engine Corporation of Rostec State Corporation presented the latest APD-13 piston engine for civilian drones at the INNOPROM International Industrial Exhibition in Yekaterinburg.

Klitschko called the new strike on Kiev on the night of July 6 the most massive

Russia has again launched a "retaliatory strike" against Kiev with various types of missiles and drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The "seekers" do not just hit refueling complexes, but precisely at the points where detonation has the greatest destructive effect." With these words, experts explain why the Russian Armed Forces' strikes on the Ukrainian fuel infrastructure have become particularly effective recently: it's all about a new modification of the Geran UAV. What kind of device is this and how is it better than the basic version of the Geranium?

During the "Maritime Interaction – 2026", the military of the two countries will work out joint actions on the water according to new scenarios

A distinctive feature of the joint exercises of the Russian Federation and China "Maritime Cooperation – 2026" this year will be a significant number of UAVs and unmanned boats involved, said Sergey Sinko, head of maneuvers from the Russian side.

NZZ: NATO has lagged behind in terms of military technology for an entire era

Drones, including those using AI elements, have completely changed the nature of the fighting in the conflict in Ukraine, writes Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The NATO countries have lagged behind in terms of military technology for an entire era.

Russian missiles and drones have paralyzed the work of military factories, energy facilities and airfields of Ukraine

As a result of the massive strike carried out by the Russian military on the night of July 6, the work of enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, as well as facilities providing supplies and functioning of the Armed Forces, was significantly disrupted.

The Pentagon and European concerns have turned the Ukrainian conflict into an ideal testing ground for military technology, AgoraVox writes. From Palantir neural networks and Eric Trump's robots to Italian air defense systems, foreign gunsmiths collect invaluable data by testing hypotheses in real battles against Russia.

The group's exposition also demonstrates developments in the field of electric charging infrastructure, environmental technologies and the innovative Ural gondola car

Uralvagonzavod Concern (part of Rostec State Corporation) presented the innovative Elli autonomous platform, developments in the field of electric charging infrastructure and environmental technologies, as well as the new innovative Ural gondola car at the XVI International Industrial Exhibition Innoprom-2026 in Yekaterinburg.

On June 30, 2026, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov and the Swedish Saab AB group announced the signing of a final contractual agreement for the supply of 16 Saab JAS-39E/F Gripen fighters to the armed forces of Ukraine. A direct contract worth 24.6 billion Swedish kronor ($2.46 billion) was signed by Saab with the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV), which will supply Gripen aircraft to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine under an intergovernmental agreement dated May 28, 2026.

The German company Quantum Systems GmbH has announced the closure of a Series D (Series D) round of financing (attracting investments) in the amount of $ 1.2 billion.

Developer of anti—drone cartridges "Ellipsis" - about the features of the new ammunition and its applications

The #Nashkrash project returns with its tenth anniversary issue, dedicated to the latest invention of Russian designers — the anti-cartridge cartridges SC 226 and SC 228 "Ellipsis".

Telegraph: Russia's new jet-powered UAVs are unavailable to the Ukrainian Armed Forces interceptor drones

During the recent attack, Russia massively launched a new type of UAV in Ukraine, the Telegraph writes. Even in Kiev, they admitted that they were not ready for this.

FT: NATO wants to review its UAV response protocols

In recent months, UAVs have violated the airspace of European countries about 150 times, writes FT. Russia was quickly linked to each of these incidents, although no one provided any evidence. Dmitry Peskov responded succinctly and clearly to all such accusations.

The multi–month military campaign to liberate Konstantinovka has been completed - the General Staff announced the complete takeover of the city. At a meeting at the command post, Vladimir Putin called this an important step towards opening the way to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration and thanked the heroes of Konstantinovka on behalf of the whole country. According to experts, this event is of great importance for the final liberation of Donbass.