The April issue illustrates how scale, cost, and integration are redefining the battlefield: from mass robotics and additional air defense layers to the economics of long-range strikes and to the emerging gaps in global interceptor supply.
In the April 2026 edition:
— First Overwater Shahed Interception — Ukraine conducted the first recorded Shahed interception by an interceptor launched from an unmanned surface vessel, opening a new maritime counter-drone layer.
— The Interceptor Gap — Low production, high consumption in Iran, and a 29-month order lead time have left global PAC-3 MSE stocks strained, pushing Europe to look for alternatives.
— An-28 as Airborne Interceptor Carrier — Ukraine's An-28 turboprop is now launching interceptor drones from underwing hardpoints — a low-cost, high-loiter addition to counter-drone operations.
— Russia Hunts Ukraine's Mobile Fire Groups — Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine's mobile fire groups mid-engagement: one Shahed draws fire, a second hunts the crew.
— The UGV Race in April — Ukraine is set to contract 25,000 ground robots in H1 2026, double the 2025 total, while Russia mounts North Korean MLRS and mortars on UGVs.
— Russia Leverages European Mobile Networks for Shahed Guidance — Every Shahed carries a T2 SIM card, routing through Belarusian, Polish, and Romanian mobile networks to bypass Ukrainian jamming.
— Striking Deeper — Ukraine continues its deep and middle strike campaign, expanding the geographical reach of its strikes to Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk oblasts, once again reaching the distances more than 1,700 km from Ukrainian-controlled territory.