A new kind of threat is taking to the skies over Ukraine, one that doesn’t rely on human control, fixed coordinates, or even daylight.

Israel and Ukraine have used drones against their adversaries in audacious ways that have helped the Pentagon see the need for new technology.

Russia’s Shahed drone swarms are pummeling Ukraine on a nightly basis, inflicting ever more death and destruction in cities that had managed to carve out some sense of normalcy amid wartime. With traditional air defense stockpiles running low,

An Iranian Shahed exploding drone launched by Russia flies through the sky seconds before it struck buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 17, 2022. Credit: AP Israeli attacks on Iran