Defender Media

We continue our “Black Mirror” series, spotlighting the latest Russian military tech innovations. This weekly digest is designed to help Ukrainian innovators and their allies understand the challenges they must prepare to face. Like Ukraine, Russian developers are now focusing heavily on unmanned technologies. In particular, they are developing multiple UAV collision-avoidance systems and improving ground drone capabilities—one of the key trends expected in the Russia–Ukraine war in 2025. Full details are in Black Mirror #4: https://lnkd.in/dFEapWVY #miltech #russiaukrainewar #UAVs #DefenceTech #blackmirror

The National Guard of Ukraine has begun using the Steel Beasts simulation platform, developed for the professional training of military personnel. Oleksii Lytvynenko, the initiator of the platform’s implementation in Ukraine and the key figure involved in its localisation, announced the launch. The Steel Beasts Pro system, developed by the American-German company eSim Games, resembles a computer game but was designed specifically for military training. How it works, what it trains, and who made it happen — read the full story on Defender: https://lnkd.in/dfJBg6QQ

Defender launches the first dedicated calendar of defence tech events in Ukraine — top-notch occasions, including industry conferences, forums, demo days, startup pitch sessions, hackathons, and more. Already in the calendar: BRAVE1 Defence Tech Era, UK-UA Defence Tech Forum by Strategy Council, Invest in Bravery: Defence & Resilience, Drone Autonomy by IRON Cluster, Defence Tech Comms Bootcamp 2.0 by Calibrated and Tech PR School, European Defense Tech Hackathon. Bookmark the page, and stay in the loop! 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/dxWTmJbU

In May, the Ukrainian State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT) plans to launch the DOT-Chain Defence platform, a marketplace where military units can independently select and order the necessary equipment contracted by the state. Defender spoke with Volodymyr Chugai, Head of Product Management for the DOT project, about what can be ordered through the platform, the main challenges in building it, and how the military and manufacturers will use it. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dFUvFAY2

The Defender continues to publish its weekly job digest in Ukrainian defence tech, created in partnership with the recruiting platform BazaIT. Today’s spotlight is on Oko Camera, which develops and manufactures thermal imaging cameras for unmanned systems. Among other openings, noteworthy roles include Chief Marketing Officer at TAF Drones, Computer Vision Engineer at Frontline, and Ground Robotic Systems Engineer at Liut FPV. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dPCE3sYa

Ukraine’s startup scene is no longer just surviving the war — it’s becoming a serious player in global defence innovation. In our latest guest article, journalist Bojan Stojkovski speaks with David Nichols and Ryan Grant Little, co-founders of Invest in Bravery, a platform helping Ukrainian defence tech go global. Nichols and Little share how the initiative started, what drives their work, and why investing in Ukraine is now seen as impact investing. Read the full article:  https://lnkd.in/dSAt96xm #DefenderMedia #InvestInBravery #DefenceTech #Ukraine #Startups #ImpactInvesting

We are the official media partner of BRAVE1 Defense Tech Era, the biggest defence tech event of the spring, which will take place on April 26 in Kyiv. The forum will bring together key players from Ukraine’s defence innovation ecosystem to mark the two-year anniversary of Brave1. Defender Media’s Founding Editor, Roman Sudolsky, will moderate the panel “From idea to production—and back: Ensuring the innovation cycle." The panel will feature the founders of some of the most innovative Ukrainian defence tech companies. Register and get your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/e3ertWYh #DefenderMedia #Brave1 #DefenseTechEra #Ukraine #DefenceTech #Innovation

Ukrainian defence tech startup NORDA Dynamics, which specialises in developing autonomous control systems for drones in challenging conditions, has announced it has raised $150,000 from Angel One Fund. The funding was provided under a syndicated agreement and will be used to scale the company’s key products. Norda Dynamics became the eighth investment of Angel One Fund in 2024, following support for seven other defence and dual-use technology startups. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/decNhDHw

After a months-long pause, BRAVE1 has resumed its defence tech grant programme. Grants of ₴500K, ₴1M, ₴2M, ₴4M, and ₴8M are now available. Priority areas include drone swarms, ballistic missiles, fibre-optic drones, guided aerial bombs, unmanned surface vessels, artificial intelligence for terrain mapping, and others. According to Nataliia Kushnerska, CEO of Brave1, the defence technology cluster has awarded over 500 grants totalling ₴2.2 billion since its inception in 2023. Read how to apply and what evaluation criteria apply: https://lnkd.in/d_ZYXT9j

By 2025, the role of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) on the front lines has significantly expanded, becoming an increasingly critical component in combat operations. Oleksandr Yabchanka, head of the robotic systems service of the “Da Vinci Wolves” unit of the 59th “Steppe Predators” Brigade, discussed their deployment in an interview with the Ukrainian Forces of Unmanned Systems' YouTube channel. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dXPdVfPD