Russian troops are reportedly terrified by a new generation of Ukrainian drones dubbed 'Martians', which are said to be invulnerable to electronic warfare and operate using artificial intelligence technology derived from NASA's Martian helicopters. The unmanned aircraft, which use Qualcomm chips and an optical odometry system, do not rely on GPS, making them difficult to detect and intercept.
According to Russian military bloggers and state media, the drones become fully autonomous at the final stage of an attack, switching off communication and comparing real-time camera images with pre-loaded terrain maps. This renders them invisible to detectors and immune to electronic warfare systems. The drones are reportedly capable of speeds up to 186 mph and operate day and night, often inaudible until the final seconds of their dive.
Sergei Kolyasnikov, a military correspondent for the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, warned of a 'qualitative change at the front', noting that Ukraine has introduced a new generation of drones that create serious logistical challenges for Russian forces. He described them as 'extremely high-quality, mass-produced military-grade products' that are likely controlled by AI rather than human operators.
Russian sources suggest the drones may be assembled using components from Germany and France, with some claiming they are launched from Starlink-powered relay wings for extended range. A recent attack on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk has been attributed to the 'Martian', and separate footage shows the destruction of Russian military vehicles in the same region, also suspected to be the work of these drones.
Major General Apti Alaudinov acknowledged the new threat, stating that Russian forces have studied the drones in the lab and believe they are jointly produced by Ukraine, Germany, and France. The puppet mayor of occupied Horlivka, Ivan Prikhodko, reported a dramatic deterioration in the situation due to the use of 'Martian' drones in strikes on the city.
