Dorozvidka #71: Magura as an FPV Carrier, 7 km Intercepts, plus Babenko, Fedorov, “Miguel”, Terminal Autonomy and REINDORF

In this edition of Dorozvidka:

• Defense Tech Valley 2026 and Kyiv Growth Summit postponed. IRON DEMO 2026 cancelled;
• Russian strikes hit defence companies Terminal Autonomy and REINDORF;
• Ukraine’s military intelligence showcases Magura USVs carrying FPV drones;
• Altitude records set by Lasar’s Group and Wild Hornets;
• Interceptor drone pilot “Miguel” named Hero of Ukraine;
• Ground robotic systems see growing use across Ukraine’s Defence Forces;
• TAF Industries rolls out its 100th “Tesla” UGV;
• Zelensky appoints Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service;
• The Pentagon receives 2,000 Ukrainian F-10 strike drones under an F-Drones contract;
• Vyriy Industries CEO Oleksii Babenko discusses searches, Fedorov’s dismissal and the company’s products;
• Two interviews with Mykhailo Fedorov;
• Fire Point develops a turbojet engine for the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile.

Defense Tech Valley 2026 and Kyiv Growth Summit postponed. IRON DEMO 2026 cancelled

Ukraine’s defence tech cluster Brave1 announced that it is postponing Defense Tech Valley 2026. The country’s largest defence tech event had been scheduled for 16–17 September in Lviv. Following the recent tragedy at a training ground in Kyiv region, the organisers decided to delay the conference.

The event will take place after the government and industry jointly review and establish new safety standards for defence-related events. Brave1 says the new dates and format will be announced later.

Earlier, the IRON defence technology cluster also cancelled IRON DEMO 2026, which had been scheduled for 28–29 August in Lviv.

On 30 July, the organisers of Kyiv Growth Summit also announced that their event had been postponed. One of its stages was dedicated to defence technologies.

Russian strikes hit defence companies: Terminal Autonomy and REINDORF

Last week, at least two defence companies were reported to have suffered damage from Russian attacks.

According to The Guardian, a recent Russian missile strike hit a facility in Kyiv where drones for the American company Terminal Autonomy were being manufactured.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone developer REINDORF has filed a lawsuit against Russia, seeking more than $410,000 in compensation for the destruction of one of its warehouses. The claim is referenced in a ruling issued by the Kyiv Commercial Court on 16 July.

Ukraine’s military intelligence showcases Magura USVs carrying FPV drones

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published footage of an operation carried out by its Group 13 special unit in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian operators struck a command vehicle belonging to the Russian “Podlyot” radar system, as well as a “Parol-4” identification friend-or-foe radar interrogator.

The operation, conducted in late July 2026, involved the latest Magura USVs configured as FPV drone carriers.

“From now on, our Maguras threaten Russian occupiers on land as well. This fundamentally changes the battlefield,” said Group 13 commander with the callsign “Thirteen.”

Altitude records set by Lasar’s Group and Wild Hornets

Ukraine’s National Guard unit Lasar’s Group set a new altitude record for intercepting an enemy drone.

In late July, the unit shot down a Russian ZALA Z-20 reconnaissance UAV over southern Ukraine. The aircraft, designed to detect targets at distances of up to 100 km, climbed to 6,400 metres in an attempt to evade interception. However, Lasar’s in-house interceptor successfully caught it.

“Lasar’s Group announced the record on 28 July. A few days later, Wild Hornets published a ranking of the highest-altitude interceptions achieved by operators of the Sting interceptor drone.

According to the company, successful interceptions have recently been recorded at altitudes of 6–7 km, previously considered relatively safe for Russian reconnaissance UAVs. The company also reports an increasing number of successful intercepts at very low altitudes, where Russian Shahed drones increasingly attempt to fly.

Top three highest interceptions by Sting operators:

• 6,858 metres — 105th Border Guard Detachment named after Prince Volodymyr the Great;
• 6,630 metres — 12th Separate Special Purpose Centre;
• 6,620 metres — 104th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade.

All three targets were ZALA Z-20 reconnaissance drones. According to Wild Hornets, each ZALA Z-20 is worth approximately $200,000.

The company also released footage of the highest-altitude interception, along with examples of successful interceptions at extremely low altitudes.

Interceptor drone pilot “Miguel” named Hero of Ukraine

An interceptor drone pilot from the 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, known by the callsign “Miguel,” has been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Between February and March 2026, he destroyed more than 350 aerial targets.

In April, Defender Media published an interview with “Miguel”, whose crew has already set several records, including shooting down 24 Shahed drones in a single night and hitting an aerial target 750 km away using the Hornet Vision CTRL remote control system.

Zelensky appoints Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service

President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. In his new role, Umerov will coordinate work on the country’s Drone Deals initiative.

Zelensky said Ukraine has already signed Drone Deals with nine countries, while negotiations on 15 more agreements are underway.

Former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko will replace Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council.

TAF Industries produces its 100th Teslia UGV

TAF Industries announced the rollout of its 100th Teslia unmanned ground vehicle.

The Tesla is designed for logistics and casualty evacuation missions. It has a payload capacity of 180 kg and a range of 40 km. Earlier, Defender Media reported that TAF Industries had acquired a majority stake in the startup behind the Teslia platform.

The deal also became the first exit for the Resist.UA investment fund, which specialises in Ukrainian defence startups. In a recent interview with Defender Media, Resist UA founder Roman Sulzhyk discussed the fund’s investment philosophy, portfolio companies and plans to launch a new €50 million fund.

UGVs see growing use across Ukraine’s Defence Forces

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence reports a rapid increase in the operational use of unmanned ground vehicles.

Key figures:

• 66,300 missions completed by UGVs over the past year;
• UAH 1.9 billion worth of ground robots ordered through Brave1;
• More than 22,000 UGVs contracted by the Ministry of Defence since the beginning of 2026.

The Pentagon receives 2,000 Ukrainian F-10 strike drones under an F-Drones contract

The information appeared on the website of the U.S. Drone Dominance rearmament programme.

In spring 2026, Ukrainian manufacturer F-Drones became one of the winners of the programme’s first phase and secured a contract with the U.S. Department of War.

Earlier in July, Defender Media reported that Ukraine’s State Export Control Service had approved the export of a batch of F-10 drones to the United States.

Vyriy Industries CEO Oleksii Babenko discusses searches, Fedorov’s dismissal and the company’s products

Oleksii Babenko, founder and CEO of Vyriy Industries, appeared on the Militarnyi video podcast.

Topics discussed included:

• Searches conducted at the company and the status of the case;
• Why the State Bureau of Investigation targeted Vyriy;
• Procurement of components and cooperation with sole proprietors;
• A meeting with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and the reasons behind Fedorov’s dismissal;
• How the investigation affected the company;
• The Slavik, Zirka, Blyskavka, Sokil, and Veresen drone projects.

Two interviews with Mykhailo Fedorov

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov gave an interview to Ukrainska Pravda, where he suggested that his dismissal may have been linked to efforts to combat corruption in defence procurement.

He also discussed medium-range strike drones, the role of artificial intelligence in countering Russian electronic warfare, and responded to allegations of favouring specific defence companies.

Fedorov also spoke with The New York Times, arguing that the future of warfare lies in direct confrontation between autonomous robotic systems powered by artificial intelligence.

According to him, the technological transformation of the armed forces is the only way to save Ukrainian soldiers’ lives, noting that more than 95% of Russian battlefield losses are already caused by drones.

Fire Point develops turbojet engine for the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile

Iryna Terekh, CEO of Fire Point, revealed the development in an extensive interview with The War Zone.

The company is currently assembling the first 10 prototypes, plans to complete testing by the end of the year and then move to serial production.

Fire Point developed the new engine together with the design bureau behind the AI-25 aircraft engine. A modified version, the AI-25TL, powered the first Flamingo missile prototypes. Development took more than 18 months.

Terekh also discussed progress on the FP-9 ballistic missile, terminal guidance systems for the FP-1 and FP-2 drones, and provided updates on the company’s FREJYA anti-ballistic missile project.

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