{
  "id": 129251,
  "title": "Ukraine has drones that can lock onto targets when Russia severs the connection to their operators, letting them complete their attacks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/ukraine-has-drones-that-can-lock-onto-targets-when-russia-severs-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T12:12:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-drones-target-lock-strike-even-when-pilot-link-lost-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukraine's military employs drones capable of autonomously striking targets even when their operators lose control, a capability that helps the nation fight through Russian electronic warfare and optimize its limited manpower. Dmytro \"Liber\" Zhluktenko, a former drone operator and lessons-learned analyst for Ukraine's 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment \"RAID,\" explained that many of the country's drones utilize a feature called \"target lock,\" which enables them to continue on their path to find and hit their targets even after the operator loses control. This is particularly useful considering the frequent signal loss experienced by Ukrainian operators due to Russian electronic warfare and the inherent design of many drones. Target lock systems, such as those used in Perennial Autonomy's Hornet mid-range strike drone, allow operators to maintain a level of autonomy in the drone's final attack phase, even if the connection to the operator is disrupted. However, it is important to note that Ukraine's drone warfare still heavily relies on human operators for target selection and decision-making. While this autonomy can help Ukraine manage its growing fleet of drones and robots, it is not intended to enable drones to strike after communication is lost, as many of the drones are programmed to self-destruct upon losing their connection.",
  "summary": "Russian jamming can sever Ukrainian pilots' drone links, but target-lock technology can still guide the drones to their targets.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ukraine's drones have \"target lock\" capability for autonomous strikes.",
    "Feature helps drones continue path to targets after operator loss.",
    "Target lock systems used in Perennial Autonomy's Hornet drone."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/129251.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Russia aims to destroy Ukraine's water supply – Shmyhal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/russia-aims-to-destroy-ukraines-water-supply-shmyhal",
        "published": "2026-08-04T14:07:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Ukraine hits Russia with deadly strike near busy beach, officials say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/ukraine-hits-russia-with-deadly-strike-near-busy-beach-officials-say",
        "published": "2026-08-04T17:09:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Ukraine accuses Russia of war crime after video shows drone ‘safari’ attack on civilian",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-war-crime-after-video-shows-drone-safari",
        "published": "2026-08-04T23:28:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}