The first such attack by Ukrainians in the war with Russia. Artificial intelligence is causing panic

A recording has appeared on the Internet showing a Ukrainian drone hitting the Yelabug factory in Tatarstan. However, Russian services told the TASS agency that machine damaged the campus where employees of the special economic zone and students of the local technical school lived. Dozens of people were injured. Practically at the same time, drones also hit the refinery complex in Nizhnekamsk, but – if the Russians are to be believed – no serious damage was reported there either. Either way, these are historic attacks on targets located well over a thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Artificial intelligence at war with Russia

Ukrainians are attacking the Russian oil and gas industry, which, despite Western sanctions, remains the largest source of income for Moscow’s war economy, reports . The Ukrainian source said the attacks were made possible by the use of drones with longer ranges and more advanced capabilities – some of which began using a “basic form” of artificial intelligence to help machines navigate and avoid interference. – Each drone has a computer with satellite and field data. Flights are arranged in advance with our allies, explains a Ukrainian interlocutor to an American television station.

“Machine vision” helps you hit the target

– They have something called “machine vision,” which is a form of artificial intelligence. Basically, you take a model, “put” it on a chip, and “train” it to identify its geographic location and the target it’s going to, explains an analyst from Britain’s Royal United Services Institute. Drones are fully autonomous and do not require communication with satellites. “This level of autonomy has never been seen in drones before, but we are still in the early stages of realizing the potential of this technology,” said Chris Lincoln-Jones, a drone expert and former British military officer. CNN contacted Ukrainian military intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), but each service declined to comment on the use of artificial intelligence in drones. Ukrainian machines have been hitting Russian refineries and fuel storage facilities for several weeks. According to analysts, the attacks reduced gasoline production in Russia by several percent and forced Moscow to limit fuel exports. The continuation of such a situation affects the budget of the Russian Federation.