Russian Drone Strikes Kill 2 at Kyiv Petrol Stations as AI Report Flags Autonomous Swarm Development
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 12
Russian Drone Strikes Kill 2 at Kyiv Petrol Stations as AI Report Flags Autonomous Swarm Development
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 12
Summary
Two people were killed and 12 injured when Russian drones hit two Kyiv petrol stations during Friday rush hour, the latest in a new wave of targeted attacks on the capital.
Three Ukrnafta stations have now been struck in two days, and all were among 18 Kyiv petrol stations listed on Telegram as expected drone targets.
Anthropic said a likely freelance team in Russia used its Claude chatbot to build software for autonomous FPV drone swarms, including target selection, terminal guidance and multi-aircraft coordination, while using VPNs to bypass geographic blocks.
The company also said Russia-linked hackers used AI across phishing, hotel Wi-Fi hijacking and malware-evasion operations aimed at Ukrainian government, military and diplomatic targets.
The strikes fit a broader escalation: Russia has used faster jet-powered drones against Kyiv for two weeks, while fighting and sanctions pressure continue ahead of a G20 energy meeting and a US House vote on tougher Russia measures.