Ukraine attacks Russian refineries with artificial intelligence drones - CNN
Ukraine produces artificially intelligent drones that are successfully attacking Russia’s energy industry.
This was reported by Censor.NET citing CNN.
As noted, Ukrainian drones are successfully reaching Moscow, Ryazan and other Russian cities where large Russian oil refineries are located. Russian air defences are failing, so the attacks are increasingly successful.
These bold Ukrainian drones are striking at Russia's vast oil and gas industry, which, despite Western import bans and price caps, remains the largest source of revenue for Moscow's military economy.
"The attacks have been made possible by the use of drones with longer range and enhanced capabilities, some of which have even begun to integrate a basic form of artificial intelligence to help them navigate and avoid obstacles," said a source close to Ukraine's drone programme.
"The accuracy of jamming is ensured by the use of artificial intelligence. Each UAV has a terminal computer with satellite and terrain data. Flights are coordinated in advance with our allies, and the drones follow the flight plan so that we can hit targets with metre accuracy," the source said.
CNN writes that such accuracy is made possible by the drone's sensors. The drone has developed "machine vision," which is a form of AI. The drone has actually been taught to determine the geography and target it is heading for.
Noah Sylvia, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, noted that such UAVs do not need to communicate with satellites, as they are fully autonomous.
Chris Lincoln-Jones, a former British military officer and expert on drone warfare and artificial intelligence, said the level of "intelligence" in drones is still very low.
"This level of autonomy has not been seen in drones before, but we are still in the early stages of the potential of this technology," he told CNN.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence and Security Services declined to comment on the information about AI drones.
The publication notes that Ukraine has built a full-fledged drone industry, which has given it a technological advantage against Russia's much larger workforce and better-trained industrial equipment.
Ukraine has relied heavily on drones since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, focusing on technology development and domestic production.
Several experts contacted by CNN said that Ukraine did not strike fuel storage facilities, but rather distillation plants, where crude oil is processed and turned into fuel or other derivatives.
"Some of them are impressive targets that require a lot of Western technology, and it's much harder for Russia to acquire that technology," Silvia said.
Experts believe that these attacks could have a greater impact on the Russian economy than the current sanctions.
Experts also believe that Ukraine will not limit itself to attacks on refineries. Some of Russia's largest oil ports, responsible for about two-thirds of its crude oil and petroleum product exports, are within range of Ukrainian drones, CNN adds.
