🔶 Germany’s AI drones at the front line of the Ukraine war A report by Deutsche Welle indicates that the German defense company Helsing is providing combat drones to Ukraine and will soon also deliver them to the German army. The billion-dollar startup based in the state of Bavaria is expected to deliver thousands of these drones to the Ukrainian army by providing them with government funding from Germany. Germany’s armed forces have also recently signed a multi-million-euro contract with Helsing. At the beginning of this year, critical reports about these drones were published in Western media, including German outlets. Citing Ukrainian soldiers, these reports claimed that during the 2025 test operation, technical problems were observed in the drones. According to a report by the newspaper Die Welt, citing soldiers present at the eastern front line of Ukraine, many of these drones were not ready to fly or crashed shortly after takeoff. It was also said that their rate of successful hits on targets was low. However, the manufacturer rejected these claims. One of the company’s spokespeople told Deutsche Welle in late January: “Members of the Ukrainian armed forces, along with Helsing personnel, are testing the HX-2 drone at the front line.” According to him, the first results of these tests have been “encouraging.” The Helsing company had initially delivered a simpler and older model called HF-1, which had been developed in cooperation with an Ukrainian manufacturer. The order included 4,000 drones. In addition, in early 2025, the German company said it would also deliver another 6,000 drones from the new HX-2 model to Ukraine. In response to Deutsche Welle’s request, Helsing stated that the HX-2 drones have not yet flown in sufficient numbers at the front line to be able to carry out a fundamental assessment of their performance in wartime conditions. The company also said that the drones are now being adapted to front-line conditions, especially in light of electronic-warfare measures by the other side that are constantly changing. Weather conditions may also have a negative impact on the performance of these drones. Based on reports, the older HF-1 model also initially produced weak results, but the manufacturer took the feedback into account and improved the product by considering it. As a result, HF-1 is now hitting more than 50% of targets in the front-line area of Pokrovsk. Ukrainians also believe that Russia currently does not have a model on a par with the HX-2. For example, in Russia’s Lanset suicide drone, the engine is located at the back—meaning the thrust engine is from behind. The wings, mounted at the rear, control the drone. But Helsing equips its drones with four front-facing engines. Doing so gives them maneuverability and speed.