A record number of aid workers faced violent attacks last year, partly driven by the increased use of armed drones, the United Nations humanitarian office has said. According to an Aid Worker Security Database, a platform that compiles major incidents affecting humanitarian workers, 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 alone. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the level of violence "appalling" and urged states to respect the rules of war and hold perpetrators accountable. "Serving others has become more dangerous than ever," he said in a statement on Wednesday. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has increased the risks.

Is the war entering a new phase? A drone strike close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied southeastern Ukraine has killed one nuclear specialist and wounded 17, according to Russian reports. Moscow asserted on Tuesday that the drone was launched by Ukraine. The security of Europe's biggest nuclear plant has provoked significant global concern amid the full-scale war on Ukraine that Russia launched in February 2022. Most of those injured by the strike were employees of the plant, according to a Telegram update by the Russian management of the nuclear facility.

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Drone video shows cattle in parched landscape across drought-hit farmland as Britain endures one of its driest summers on record. More than two-thirds of England is now in drought, according to officials. Chinese company unveils new'Superman' humanoid robot Can Trump limit birthright citizenship?

Is the war entering a new phase? Russian officials have reported more than 620 overnight drones targeting Moscow, in what appears to be one of Ukraine's largest attacks on the Russian capital in years. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian defences shot down 180 drones over the capital region between Monday evening and 5am (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday. He said 17 more drones were shot down en route to the capital later. The drone attack wounded three people, including a 10-year-old girl, Moscow region's Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Telegram.

German drone maker Helsing has enlisted Japanese e-commerce and finance firm Rakuten to help finalize a deal to sell its unmanned systems to Japan's army, a spokesperson for Rakuten said on Monday. Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force is currently testing Helsing's HX-2 strike drone, as Tokyo looks to modernize its military and counter an increasingly assertive China. The field tests will run until the end of September, the spokesperson said. Helsing struck an "initial agreement" for the Japanese government to use its systems earlier this year, a spokesperson for the Munich-based company said, adding that the move was made possible by an unnamed "local brokerage partner." Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia has accused the UK of deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis following confirmation that British-made drones had been used in strikes on targets in Russia. In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks, the Russian Embassy to the UK wrote in a statement. London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer, it said, adding that the deeper its involvement in the conflict, the higher the price it will pay. In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC News that Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies, said the spokesperson in a statement.

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U.S. military bases lack sensor systems and counter-drone defenses to stop attack drone swarms, a senior commander warns as the Pentagon pursues laser and microwave weapons.

You could soon get your Uber Eats order delivered by a Zipline drone thanks to the latest partnership between the two companies. As detailed in an Uber press release, the company is targeting a goal of one million drone deliveries each day by end of 2029. The partnering companies also announced that the first deployments are scheduled for later this year, with drone deliveries first becoming available in Zipline's existing US markets, including Pea Ridge, Ark. and the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, before expanding to dozens of more cities. On top of the combination of Uber's network and Zipline's drone fleet, Uber made a strategic investment into Zipline but didn't disclose the financial details. Before this partnership, Zipline teamed up with Walmart and Chipotle to make food and retail deliveries.