Shield AI's V-BAT is finding the targets for Ukraine's campaign to cut off Crimea
A CBS News report from Kyiv details how Shield AI's V-BAT reconnaissance drone finds targets for the Ukrainian strike campaign that has hit dozens of Russian tankers and left Crimea rationing fuel.
A CBS News report from Kyiv details how Shield AI's V-BAT reconnaissance drone finds targets for the Ukrainian strike campaign that has hit dozens of Russian tankers and left Crimea rationing fuel.
Ukraine is flying Shield AI's V-BAT reconnaissance drone to locate targets for its deep-strike campaign against Russian energy and logistics, CBS News reported July 9 from Kyiv. In early March, a V-BAT over the Black Sea spotted Russian soldiers and equipment on a gas-field platform off Ukraine's southern coast. Naval drones opened fire on the rig, and an aerial drone destroyed a Ka-27 helicopter that landed to pull troops out. Ukraine's navy put Russia's equipment losses above $1.5 million.
The aircraft carries AI software that plans routes around known Russian air defenses, and Ukrainian officials told CBS it has helped locate S-400 batteries. "We focus on targets that are expensive, strategically valuable, or difficult to replace," a naval V-BAT operator with the call sign Negative said. Strikes more than 30 miles past the front line nearly doubled in June, according to Defense Minister Mikhailo Fedorov, who expects drones to turn Crimea "into an island." The reconnaissance also covers part of a gap left when Washington restricted certain intelligence for strikes inside Russia in March 2025; French President Emmanuel Macron said in January that two-thirds of the intelligence Ukraine receives now comes from France.
Ukraine hit nine shadow-fleet tankers in a single night this week and at least 36 ships across four days in the Sea of Azov, per tallies from drone force commander Robert Brovdi that BBC News noted are not all independently confirmed. Fuel is rationed or short in more than 90 percent of Russian regions, the BBC wrote. Russian officials halted civilian gas sales in Crimea in June.
Shield AI keeps field teams in the country. Its operators told CBS that reports on shifting Russian jamming frequencies feed directly into aircraft updates, and the company says its Hivemind autonomy software is flying one-way attack drones in Ukraine without GPS or communications.
The battlefield and the startup story — free in your inbox every week. No paywall.
Subscribe Free →A Reuters investigation published June 5 counted more than 50 V-BAT crashes worldwide over 18 months and valued the firm at $13 billion. Ukrainian operators told CBS that no other system they fly matches the aircraft's range, endurance or communications. Zelenskyy's 40-day pressure operation expires in early August; Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces counted 48 ships hit in July as of the 10th.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shield AI V-BAT?
A long-range, vertical-takeoff reconnaissance drone built by the American defense firm Shield AI. Per CBS News, it carries onboard AI software that plans flight routes around known Russian air-defense positions.
What role does the V-BAT play in Ukraine's strikes into Russia?
It flies deep reconnaissance to find and confirm targets, including S-400 air-defense batteries, before Ukrainian strike drones attack, Ukrainian officials and operators told CBS News. A V-BAT located the Black Sea gas platform Ukraine's navy destroyed in March.
What is Ukraine's Crimea isolation campaign?
A sustained drone effort against the tankers, ports, fuel depots and power grid supplying the occupied peninsula. Drone force commander Robert Brovdi claims at least 36 ships were hit in four days in the Sea of Azov, per BBC News, and Defense Minister Mikhailo Fedorov says drones will turn Crimea "into an island."
Does Shield AI operate inside Ukraine?
Yes. The company runs field teams whose operators feed reports on Russian jamming frequencies into aircraft updates, per CBS News. Shield AI also says its Hivemind autonomy software is flying one-way attack drones in Ukraine without GPS or communications.
Has the V-BAT had reliability problems?
A Reuters investigation counted more than 50 V-BAT crashes worldwide over 18 months. Ukrainian operators told CBS News that no other system they fly matches its range, endurance or communications.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.