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Samuel Bendett

@sambendett.bsky.social
8.4K followers 658 following 2.5K posts

Uncrewed, autonomous, robotic systems and Artificial Intelligence. Russian and Ukrainian weapons development. CNA, CNAS and CSIS. Opinions my own.

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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Army Special Forces graduate first batch of Robotics Technician Integrators, a new job the rest of the service is eyeing defensescoop.com/2026/10/02/a...
defensescoop.com
Army Special Forces graduate first batch of Robotics Technician Integrators, a new job the rest of the service is eyeing
Army Special Forces graduated the first batch of a new military occupational specialty meant to help units employ an ever-evolving suite of military technology.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Very interesting analysis www.rand.org/pubs/comment...
rand.org
Forecasting the Next Steps in Ukraine's Military Evolution
Ukraine’s military has changed substantially since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Will its next evolution be shaped by traditionalists or technologists?
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Russian state media (usual caveats apply) claims that Airborne Forces conducted the "first-ever" airdrop of several UGVs (Omich-2, Courier and Bogomol-7V) from Il-76 mil transport aircraft during the Center-2026 strategic command-and-staff exercise. iz.ru/2177678/vois...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Inside Ukraine’s Middle Strike Strategy: Innovation, Drones and the Fight Deep Behind Russian Lines armyinform.com.ua/en/2026/10/0...
armyinform.com.ua
Inside Ukraine’s Middle Strike Strategy: Innovation, Drones and the Fight Deep Behind Russian Lines
Just a few years ago, the ability to strike Russia’s rear at a depth of 80–100 kilometers on a mass scale was considered the next major technological frontier.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Ex-defense minister’s futuristic ‘Army of Robots’ raises eyebrows in Ukraine breakingdefense.com/2026/10/ex-d...
breakingdefense.com
Ex-defense minister's futuristic 'Army of Robots' raises eyebrows in Ukraine - Breaking Defense
A splashy promo video published by Mykhailo Fedorov envisions humanoid robots in combat, but not everyone is convinced it's the right play.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hegseth announces the Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, that will have service-like authorities and is intended to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the US military. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
militarytimes.com
Hegseth announces new four-star command for autonomous warfare
The new Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, aims to address an acquisition system that isn't keeping pace with the speed of technological change.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Ukraine’s former defense minister launches ‘Manhattan Project’ for killer robots www.militarytimes.com/unmanned/202...
militarytimes.com
Ukraine’s former defense minister launches ‘Manhattan Project’ for killer robots
Mykhailo Fedorov told Defense News he wants humanoid-like robots on the battlefield within six months and an assault without infantry within a year.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Appreciated joining Kateryna Bondar and Nicole Errera at @csis.org to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine drone and unmanned combat. www.youtube.com/watch?v=of3U...
youtube.com
From Shahed to Geran: How Russia Continues to Reinvent the One-Way Attack Drone
YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Very relevant take www.militantwire.com/p/files-with...
militantwire.com
Files Without Borders: The Diffusion of 3D-Printed Weapons Designs from the Russo-Ukrainian War
3D-printing technology has played a pivotal role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
How much pay is Russian MOD promising its drone pilots? A Russian advert for recruiting FPV pilots to an elite formation promises work 2 days on - 2 days off, in 12 hour shifts; FPV technicians allegedly get (up to) 513K rubles ($6K) per month that includes base salary and bonuses. t.co/gwwAl7wvAB
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Watch this space warontherocks.com/north-koreas...
warontherocks.com
North Korea’s Irregular Warfare After Ukraine
Pyongyang has a long history of conducting irregular warfare and asymmetric operations: Look no further than the 1968 Blue House raid or the 1996
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
US Navy stands up hub to prepare unmanned systems for combat www.defensenews.com/industry/tec...
defensenews.com
US Navy stands up hub to prepare unmanned systems for combat
U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle announced a new autonomous development center to train sailors and test new technology.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
english.nv.ua/nation/ai-in...
english.nv.ua
U.S. and Russia remove ethical safeguards from draft U.N. agreement on AI weapons
U.S. and Russian representatives working on a global U.N. agreement to regulate the use of lethal AI-based weapons removed a number of safeguards from the draft text, The Washington Post reported on S...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine...
newsukraine.rbc.ua
Ukraine's 3rd Corps makes history by dropping combat robots behind Russian lines
Read more
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
OnlyFans star Dvornikova estimates that the taxes she filed alone could finance 100 new military pickup trucks or 2,000 drones. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
Ukraine weighs legalizing pornography to raise tax revenue and buy drones
Decriminalizing porn would help close a huge budget gap but is a fraught step in a nation long stained by a reputation for exploiting its women.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
warontherocks.com/the-new-sign...
warontherocks.com
The New Signature Wounds: How Drone Warfare Is Reshaping the Injuries Veterans Bring Home
Traumatic brain injury became the signature wound of the post-9/11 wars because the battlefield changed. Improvised explosive devices changed the nature
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
www.twz.com/news-feature...
twz.com
The Evolving Role Of Ukraine's Artillery In The Age Of Drones
Artillery, once the 'king of battle' along the front lines has been dethroned by drones, but it still has a critical job to do.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
www.supercluster.com/editorial/wh...
supercluster.com
What We Know About Russia’s Answer to Starlink
A batch of RASSVET satellites, Russia's version of Starlink, launched in March this year failed to reach their operational altitude of 500 miles (800 kilometers) and is reportedly lingering in a much ...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Drug cartels are making alarming drone advances, U.S. assessment warns www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
Drug cartels are making alarming drone advances, U.S. assessment warns
The technological shift in Latin America, fueled by fighters returning from the Russia-Ukraine war, complicates President Donald Trump’s war on drugs, officials say.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
united24media.com/latest-news/...
united24media.com
Russia Equips Shaheds With Chinese Mesh Modems, Making Them FPV-Capable
Wreckage of a Shahed drone uncovered a full suite of technology, suggesting a shift to steerable FPV-style weapons, according to Ukrainian sources.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
militarnyi.com/en/news/mali...
militarnyi.com
Mali Reports Russian Molniya Drone Downed
A Russian Molniya-type drone was reportedly shot down near the town of Dioura in central Mali.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
www.businessinsider.com/us-army-has-...
businessinsider.com
The US Army is getting enough drones, official says. Now, it needs to train enough operators.
The service is buying tens of thousands of drones and delivering them to troops. The next challenge is ensuring they know how to use them.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Of interest: defensearchives.com/editorials/i...
defensearchives.com
Initiation Mechanisms of drone munitions in Ukraine battlefield - Defense Archives
Overwiew of the different methods of drone munitions initiation in Ukraine battlefield be it cheap 3D printed or high end factory made solutions.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Ukraine’s Vivaldi operation cleared 85 square kilometers near Lyman. A soldier who fought it says one thing was hardest of all euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/19/u...
euromaidanpress.com
Ukraine's Vivaldi operation cleared 85 square kilometers near Lyman. A soldier who fought it says one thing was hardest of all - Euromaidan Press
A military-intelligence soldier describes the hardest task in Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi in northern Donetsk: dislodging dug-in Russians.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Russia's Rybar TG channel put out the following graphic that shows Ukrainian long-range drones and missiles that attacked Moscow. t.me/rybar/83311
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Russia pulls elite drone unit from northern Donetsk Oblast after losses from Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine's military says kyivindependent.com/russia-pulls...
kyivindependent.com
Russia pulls elite drone unit from northern Donetsk Oblast after losses from Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine's military says
"Most specialized drone units in the area suffered significant losses among qualified personnel and material and technical resources," the 3rd Army Corps said.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Ukraine's defense companies say soldiers want drones that do more on their own so one operator can control more at once www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-pil...
businessinsider.com
Ukraine's soldiers want drones that do more on their own so one operator can control more at once
Ukrainian drone makers are building more autonomy into their systems so one operator can manage multiple drones.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Potential post-war civilian applications of military tech used by Russians in Ukraine invasion. t.me/rybar/83273
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Rybar also indicates the danger to Poland from Russian-made Geran-5 UAVs, considering previous incidents of Russian drones straying into NATO airspace, and "plenty of targets to strike in Poland" for Russian drones. t.me/rybar/83255
t.me
Рыбарь
📝«Герани» над Польшей📝 А как вам такой сценарий? Польская воинственность в отношении России — это старая песня, которая тянется столетиями. В последние дни тема напряженных отношений между странами с...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Rybar also discusses a hypothetical scenario of India acquiring Geran-5 drone as part of bilateral defense cooperation. Below is a graphic of potential ranges over Pakistan if these Gerans are launched from India. t.me/rybar/83250
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
But wait - there is more: Rybar also theorizes that the Russian defense industry could offer Geran-5 drones to China as part of its mil-to-mil cooperation to strike targets on Taiwan. Below is a hypothetical scenario of Taiwan in Geran-5 range. t.me/rybar/83247
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Russia's Rybar: potential ranges of Russian-made Geran-5 drones and their targets inside US if these UAVs are launched from northern Mexico. Rybar notes this graphic was made after Mexico displayed domestic Shahed-like drones at its recent military parade. t.me/rybar/83245
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Ukraine struck more than 3000 Russian UGVs to date mod.gov.ua/en/news/more...
mod.gov.ua
More than 3,000 russian UGVs struck by drones since the start of the year
Since the beginning of the year, unmanned systems units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine have struck more than 3,000 russian unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Of interest - wargaming among Russian General Staff games.dossier.center/little-wars-...
games.dossier.center
Little Wars. Dossier Investigation into Generals War Games
How Generals Plan Combat Operations by Playing Role-Playing Games
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The Next Big Thing in the Ukraine War: Ground Drones washingtonmonthly.com/2026/08/19/u...
washingtonmonthly.com
The Next Big Thing in the Ukraine War: Ground Drones
Ukraine is scaling ground drones for supply runs, evacuations, and combat assaults—offering a glimpse of the next phase of robotic warfare.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Russia’s Rybar continues its series of potential scenarios involving delivering Geran-5 drones to Moscow’s allies - this time, its Geran-5 ranges and potential targets if launched from North Korea. t.me/rybar/83231
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Russia’s Rybar on the Russian-made Geran-5 drone launches if launched from Iran t.me/rybar/83155
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
ridl.io/moscow-s-thr...
ridl.io
Moscow’s Three University Pipelines for Drone War – Riddle Russia
Maksym Panchokha on how Russian universities feed the country’s drones and military through three distinct tracks
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...
aljazeera.com
‘Attacks will be fully autonomous’: Russia, Ukraine race towards AI warfare
Automated AI drones are just one component of an ultimate chain of destruction both sides are building.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A Russian mil blogger on a few problems with the domestic Yolka drone interceptor: “…absolutely crazy difference between its production cost and the MOD acquisition cost.” Guess someone is pocketing the difference? t.me/romanov_92/559…
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Completely unsurprising considering significant advances in humanoid robotics around the world: Foundation wants to build robot soldiers www.wsj.com/tech/forget-...
wsj.com
Forget Robot Workers, This Company Wants to Build Soldiers
Unmanned aerial drones and vehicles are already on the frontlines of military conflicts. Foundation Future Industries wants combat-ready humanoid robots to be next.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
united24media.com
Russia Weaponized Claude AI to Spy on Ukraine and Europe
Russian hackers, linked to Midnight Blizzard, used Anthropic Claude AI for cyberespionage targeting over 20 Ukrainian organizations and defense firms.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The first battle in history between two unmanned surface vessels has taken place in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian Sargan 3000 USV that was armed with a 12.7 mm gun has engaged and destroyed a Russian naval drone. t.me/ukrainian_na...
t.me
Військово-Морські Сили ЗС України | UA Navy
🇺🇦⚓ Перший в історії бій морських безекіпажних катерів. Український Sargan знищив російський МБеК Військово-Морські Сили у взаємодії з Головним управлінням розвідки провели у Чорному морі успішну опе...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
www.reuters.com/business/aer...
reuters.com
Behind the killer robots of Ukraine's new warfare 'revolution'
Workshops like this one run by Ukraine's Third Army Corps have sprouted up across the 1,200-km front as Kyiv's outmanned army seeks to gain the technological edge against Russia's unrelenting infantry...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Former Blackwater’s Erik Prince-backed Ukrainian firm Swarmer scoops up rival Ratel Robotics in tie-up worth $224 million www.wsj.com/business/dro...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Drone Deal Kicks Off Consolidation in Ukraine’s 500-Company Industry
An Erik Prince-backed defense technology firm scooped up a Ukrainian maker of unmanned ground vehicles in a tie-up worth $224 million.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Interesting observations nypost.com/2026/09/09/t...
nypost.com
Experts warn AI could kill us all — this is how an apocalyptic doomsday scenario could play out
AI is not yet going after humanity, but there are those who believe that it is a very near, very real, very scary possibility.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
www.defensenews.com/global/europ...
defensenews.com
Ukrainian industry scrambles to field interceptors against Russian jet drones
Ukrainian companies are pushing to make their interceptor drones faster, aiming to be effective against Russian jet-powered drones.
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Israeli military to create an unmanned systems and AI branch www.timesofisrael.com/zamir-says-i...
timesofisrael.com
Zamir says IDF to open new ‘unmanned systems and AI’ branch by December
Military chief says branch to be tasked with 'rapidly developing field' of drones and AI, vows that Israel will be 'global leader' in field
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Reposted by Samuel Bendett
The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
🇺🇦 @sambendett.bsky.social describes crucial dimension of Kyiv’s contribution as its “intellectual resources” — the practical knowledge generated through the rapid design, testing, and continuous adaptation of unmanned systems under intense combat conditions. theukrainianreview.info/from-battlef...
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Samuel Bendett @sambendett.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
www.military.com/marine-corps...
military.com
Marine Corps Confirms Plan to Add 6,500 Positions by 2031
The Marines plan more than 6,500 new positions across infantry, drones, robotics, air defense, AI and other specialties by 2031.
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