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Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys

The Hornet, a low-cost, AI-assisted kamikaze drone developed by a company linked to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is being used by Ukraine to strike Russian supply convoys. Reports detail its capabilities and impact, while Russian officials accuse Ukraine of using it against civilian targets.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Jun 1–13, 2026 Published Aug 15

Lead

A new drone, the Hornet, is playing an increasing role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Reports describe a low-cost, AI-assisted kamikaze drone that Ukraine is using to attack Russian military logistics, while Russian officials accuse Ukraine of using it against civilian targets.

Coverage Comparison

France 24 reports that the Hornet is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence. It is built of polystyrene, has a 2-metre wingspan, a range of more than 100 km, and costs $6,000. It can hit a target at a speed of 200 km/h and carry a 4.5 kg payload. The drone is launched via a catapult, flies on an electric propeller motor, and is nearly silent, according to Russian sources. It is piloted using two cameras.

In contrast, TASS, citing Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik, reports that the drone is manufactured by Swift Beat, owned by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. TASS focuses on the drone's use against civilian targets and transport in Russia, and claims the first combat use was in March 2026, when it attacked Donetsk. TASS also reports that Russia shot down a Hornet drone in the Kharkov direction. Neither outlet disputes the drone's capabilities, but they differ sharply on its purpose and impact.

Both reports attribute the drone's development to a company associated with Eric Schmidt. France 24 names Perennial Autonomy as the developer, and notes that in July 2025, Perennial Autonomy – then called Swift Beat – made a deal to supply Ukraine with drones. TASS, through Miroshnik, identifies Swift Beat as the manufacturer. The discrepancy in company names (Swift Beat vs. Perennial Autonomy) is not addressed by either outlet, but the shared connection to Schmidt is consistent.

The reports also differ on the drone's range and payload. France 24 lists a range of more than 100 km and a 4.5 kg payload, while TASS quotes Miroshnik saying the drone can fly up to 145 kilometers and carry up to five kilograms of explosives. These figures may reflect different models or specifications, but the discrepancy is not explained in the provided material.

Key Claims

The Hornet is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence. (Reported by France 24)
The drone is built of polystyrene, has a 2-metre wingspan, and a range of more than 100 km. (Reported by France 24)
The drone costs $6,000 and can hit a target at 200 km/h, carrying a 4.5 kg payload. (Reported by France 24)
The drone is piloted using two cameras and flies on an electric propeller motor, making it nearly silent. (Reported by France 24)
The US-designed Hornet was developed by Perennial Autonomy, founded and financed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. (Reported by France 24; TASS names Swift Beat as the manufacturer, owned by Schmidt)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine quadrupled its mid-range strikes between February and April 2026. (Reported by France 24)
Elite Ukrainian units have posted images of Hornet drones striking Russian supply convoys. (Reported by France 24)
Russian military bloggers have admitted the Hornet allows Ukrainians to strike at unprecedented distance. (Reported by France 24)
Hornet drones are being used by Ukraine to attack civilian targets and transport in Russia. (Claimed by TASS, quoting Russian official Rodion Miroshnik)
The first combat use was recorded in March 2026, when they attacked Donetsk. (Claimed by TASS, quoting Miroshnik)
Russia shot down a Hornet drone in the Kharkov direction. (Claimed by TASS, quoting Miroshnik)

Perspectives

Russian Official (Rodion Miroshnik)

TASS quotes the Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying the Hornet is produced by Swift Beat, owned by Eric Schmidt, and is being used by Ukraine to attack civilian targets and transport, constituting war crimes. He claims the first combat use was in March 2026 against Donetsk and that Russia downed one in the Kharkov direction.

Ukrainian/Pro-Ukraine (as reported by France 24)

France 24 reports that Ukraine has been using the Hornet to strike Russian supply convoys, with elite units posting images. Ukrainian President Zelensky is cited as saying Ukraine quadrupled mid-range strikes. The report also notes that Russian military bloggers have admitted the drone disrupts Russian logistics.

How each outlet told it

France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC

Framing: The Hornet drone: a game-changer in the Ukraine-Russia conflict — Informative and objective

Facts Included:

The Hornet drone is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence
The drone is built of polystyrene and has a 2-metre wingspan and a range of more than 100 km
The drone costs $6,000 USD and can hit a target at a speed of 200 km/h and carry a 4.5kg payload
The drone is piloted using two cameras and can fly using an electric propeller motor, making it nearly silent
The US-designed Hornet was developed by the American company Perennial Autonomy, founded and financed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had quadrupled its number of mid-range strikes between February and April 2026
Elite Ukrainian units have been posting images of Hornet drones striking Russian supply convoys
Russian military bloggers have admitted that the Hornet drone is allowing Ukrainians to strike at an unprecedented distance

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Jun 13, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC

Framing: Ukraine using US-made Hornet drones to attack civilian targets in Russia — Critical and accusatory

Facts Included:

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is the owner of Swift Beat, a company that manufactures Hornet drones
Hornet drones are being used by Ukraine to attack civilian targets and transport in Russia
The first combat use of Hornet drones was recorded in March 2026, when they attacked Donetsk
Russia shot down a Hornet drone in the Kharkov direction

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe Hornet drone is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe drone is built of polystyrene, has a 2-metre wingspan and a range of more than 100 km.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimThe drone costs $6,000 USD and can hit a target at a speed of 200 km/h and carry a 4.5kg payload.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimThe drone is piloted using two cameras and can fly using an electric propeller motor, making it nearly silent.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimThe US-designed Hornet was developed by the American company Perennial Autonomy, founded and financed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had quadrupled its number of mid-range strikes between February and April 2026.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimElite Ukrainian units have been posting images of Hornet drones striking Russian supply convoys.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimRussian military bloggers have admitted that the Hornet drone is allowing Ukrainians to strike at an unprecedented distance.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via France 24 — English as of Jun 1, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC
ClaimHornet drones are being used by Ukraine to attack civilian targets and transport in Russia.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 13, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC
ClaimThe first combat use of Hornet drones was recorded in March 2026, when they attacked Donetsk.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 13, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC
ClaimRussia shot down a Hornet drone in the Kharkov direction.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 13, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: France 24 — English, TASS — English 11 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-15