Starshield connectivity has been fully restored for the Ukrainian military, but who will restore trust? Meanwhile, Russia is experimenting with new Geran-5 modifications and cheap cruise missiles, a trend experts call worrying because these weapons increasingly rely on Russian-made components and share a modular, unified design.
In this edition:
“Battle-Proven in Ukraine”: When Marketing Is Better Than the Weapon;
Ukraine’s Alternative to the DJI Mavic: The Slavic Drone by Vyriy Industries;
Russia Is Betting on Cheap Cruise Missiles: The Filin;
And 5+ additional developments in Russia and Ukraine
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“Battle-Proven in Ukraine”: When Marketing is Better Than the Weapon
A great article by ArmyInform explains why defence journalists need to dig deeper when analysing updates on any new weapon or defence technology. This ability to assess information critically matters for anyone working in defence procurement, investment, or related fields, because media reports often shape market dynamics.
Companies with an active media profile often win better opportunities at home and abroad, even when their products are not the best performers.
By riding hype around topics such as AI or drone swarms, some can attract substantial resources without having a working product.
Key points:
Behind high-profile presentations may stand anything from untested mock-ups to systems already in combat use.
Defence exhibitions are full of promising missiles, drones and air-defence systems. Yet developers often admit that what is on display is only a mock-up, and testing has not begun.
In Ukraine, a product typically moves from concept to prototype, then testing, codification and procurement, and finally small-batch and large-scale production. Even codification does not guarantee large orders or systematic use on the front lines.
Foreign and Ukrainian manufacturers increasingly market their products as “battle-proven in Ukraine.” Sometimes this means only that a single unit was used in combat once. That does not prove effectiveness, positive feedback from troops, or routine use.
Real adoption means troops use a system regularly, understand its capabilities and keep ordering more. Many products carrying the label at international exhibitions have never been widely adopted by Ukrainian forces.
Hasty dismissals are just as risky. A technology that seems to have failed in one setting may still work elsewhere, since tasks and conditions vary. Weapons should be judged not by flashy presentations, claimed novelty or advertised specifications, but by their ability to perform specific combat tasks in specific conditions.
On a personal note: I have dealt with different industry representatives who wanted the “battle-proven in Ukraine” label, and in my experience, there is often more marketing than real results.
Testimonial seekers: some innovators simply ask Ukrainian soldiers to record a video explaining and providing justification for the importance of their product on the battlefield.
Absent testers: some industry representatives avoid travelling to Ukraine because of the security situation, yet want their product (ironically, air-defence systems) tested there, hoping someone in Ukraine will take the risks they won’t.
Test avoiders: some avoid real testing and battlefield validation altogether, because the results might be disappointing and they don’t want to put in the work to improve.
Untested sellers: some simply want to sell to Ukraine without any prior testing, convinced their product will perform well.
Unfortunately, Ukraine’s battlefield has become a marketing tool for the defence industry.
At the same time, a group of companies spares no time or resources: they open offices in Ukraine and regularly travel to and work from the country. No other country offers comparable conditions for developing and testing defence products. In Ukraine, companies can get real feedback and see their products perform against a real enemy, not in NATO exercises or under the ideal conditions of a testing range.
Companies that commit to working in Ukraine are the ones winning government contracts and international partnerships.
Ukraine’s Alternative to DJI Mavic: The Slavic Drone by Vyriy Industries
The goal of the Slavic reconnaissance drone by Vyriy Industries is to let pilots who currently fly Mavics pull back as far as possible from the front line. Vyriy achieves this through better comms and flight time, which is almost twice that of a standard Mavic.