Weekend long-reads about defense innovation.
Jul 12, 2025
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15 min read
The Soviet Union unwittingly helped its fiercest enemy create the Blackbird, which would then go on to spy on the USSR itself. We dug through declassified CIA documents to find evidence that the metal came from Ukraine.
Jun 21, 2025
To protect their borders from Russia, half a dozen European countries aim to create a multilayered ecosystem packed with drones and sensors to respond to potential Russian threats.
Jun 14, 2025
14 min read
Because of constant attacks putting existing stocks out of commission, the humble truck is perhaps the most critical piece of battlefield equipment. Ground drones simply aren’t making enough of a dent in frontline logistics.
May 3, 2025
13 min read
Ukraine is hard at work creating a massive “kill zone” along the frontline to target enemy invaders using the experience of the five most effective UAV-operating units.
Apr 5, 2025
Direct support for Ukraine by the UK has been vital. But private partnerships between miltech companies are key to Ukraine’s future as a defense hub.
Mar 15, 2025
7 min read
Oleksandr Pavlichenko has just left his job running Ukraine’s export control after five years. He gives his thoughts on what should be reformed for Ukrainian competitiveness.
Mar 8, 2025
16 min read
Beyond the obvious geopolitical implications, the critical minerals deal has serious implications for defense tech in Ukraine, Europe, and across the rest of the world.
Feb 22, 2025
12 min read
3D printing is greatly expanding Ukraine’s production capacity, enabling the rapid manufacturing of drone munitions and shells – all growing Ukraine’s lethal abilities.
Feb 15, 2025
Taiwan is building its own nascent miltech industry – and making exchanges with Ukrainian counterparts. The Ukraine war has brought urgency to Taiwan’s desire to serve as the alternative to the ‘red supply chain,’ opening a defense component alternative for the democratic world.
Feb 8, 2025
Counteroffensive.Pro is the first to give a detailed play-by-play of a major milestone in military drone history. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it was planned, how it unfolded, and what it means for the future of warfare.
Dec 14, 2024
Drones are making armored vehicles key to maneuvers near the frontlines. Can domestically-made Ukrainian armored vehicles use battlefield innovation to become competitive with Western models?
Dec 7, 2024
Ukraine is shoring up its legal hold over miltech inventions with a new office to protect IP. We walk you through the new draft law they’re proposing, and the regulatory environment that’s evolving in Kyiv.
Nov 23, 2024
10 min read
DJI Mavics have been indispensable in Ukraine. But they are quickly becoming obsolete due to battlefield innovation and the dangers of relying on a Chinese supply chain.
Nov 2, 2024
9 min read
The humble, two-hundred-year-old invention threatens modern EW methods on the battlefield. Are new twists on this old tech going to make electronic warfare anti-drone concepts obsolete?
Oct 26, 2024
Swarms of AI-powered drones will be on the battlefield in months. How do they work, and how do they counter constant EW?
Oct 19, 2024
11 min read
Lax IP laws keep Ukrainians setting up corporations outside of Ukraine. The administration has dreams of protecting their inventions and bringing them home — along with a cut of their profits. The latest on IP during a period of martial law:
Oct 12, 2024
8 min read
A deep dive into Ukrainian export control processes. Pavlichenko says there is no ban on defense exports; lays out how defense tech exports should work; and his wish for friendlier relations with the industry.
Oct 5, 2024
Ukrainian engineers are setting a new trend in air defense by creating specialized hunter FPV-drones to take out Russian threats. Here’s where we predict the technology will develop.
Sep 21, 2024
Zelenskyy’s office is directly involved in considering reform, and a new parliamentary working group has been created amid pressure from industry and foreign partners. Our first weekend deep dive.