Russian developers used Claude AI to build 'kamikaze' drones: Anthropic

A small group of freelance developers in Russia likely used Anthropic's Claude AI to develop software for autonomous first-person-view (FPV) "kamikaze" drones capable of selecting targets and coordinating attacks, according to a report by Anthropic.

In its 154-page report on the malicious use of Claude in state-sponsored surveillance and influence operations, Anthropic said the software was designed to control drones as they approached targets, select targets, and coordinate multiple aircraft, reports The Guardian.

The drones were reportedly programmed to independently select targets and crash into them to detonate explosives without requiring human approval for the final decision, the report said.

The freelance developers repeatedly programmed a location in Ukraine's Donetsk region as a target and used a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass Anthropic's geographic restrictions, according to the report.

Small FPV drones have become a major weapon in the war in Ukraine, with both sides using them extensively.

Anthropic also found that cybercriminals and state-backed hackers are increasingly using AI to conduct and execute cyberattacks, including operations targeting Ukrainian government officials.

According to the report, one hacking group conducted phishing campaigns, hotel Wi-Fi hijacking and WhatsApp account takeovers against targets in Ukraine's government, military and diplomatic sectors, using AI at almost every stage of its operations.

Reuters reported that the group's tactics and activities resembled those of the Russia-based threat actor Midnight Blizzard, which the US government has previously linked to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The group allegedly used AI to develop a system that could automatically detect when its malware was identified by cybersecurity systems and repeatedly rewrite the code until it evaded detection, Anthropic said.

The report comes as Russian attacks on Kyiv have intensified, with a new wave of jet-powered drones targeting petrol stations across the Ukrainian capital.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and 12 injured in attacks on two petrol stations on Friday morning. Another petrol station was hit on Thursday.

All three targeted stations belonged to Ukrnafta, a state-owned oil and gas producer. A list of 18 Kyiv petrol stations that could be targeted by Russian drones had been circulating on Telegram since Wednesday, and all three damaged stations were on the list.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for the conflict in Ukraine, saying continued pressure on Moscow and attempts to bring Ukraine into NATO were responsible for the situation.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the BRICS summit in India, Putin said the crisis was the result of what he described as systematic mistakes by Western powers in politics, security and economics. He also blamed the West's efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO after a Russia-friendly Ukrainian president was forced to flee the country in 2014.

Putin further said ordinary Europeans were increasingly aware of what was happening and were therefore voting for far-right parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state.

A White House official said on Friday that a Russian official would attend a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week. Last month, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was welcomed at a G20 finance ministers' meeting in North Carolina, angering European officials.

It was the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that a Russian finance minister had attended the forum in person.

The upcoming energy meeting comes as EU auditors warn that gas storage levels are falling dangerously low ahead of winter, while efforts to reduce the bloc's dependence on Russian oil and gas have faced setbacks.

The US House of Representatives is also expected to consider a tough sanctions bill against Russia next week, although its passage remains uncertain despite strong support in the Senate.

The bill is intended to pressure Putin into negotiations with Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. However, several senior Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns that it could significantly expand President Donald Trump's authority to impose tariffs, potentially allowing him to use the new powers against US allies.

At least three people were killed in separate Russian airstrikes in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and northeastern Kharkiv region, according to information from regional governors.

Russia has carried out near-continuous attacks with high-speed, jet-powered drones over the past two weeks, killing several residents in Kyiv and severely disrupting daily life.

Ukrainian officials also said Ukraine had launched retaliatory drone strikes inside Russia, killing two people in the Tula region overnight and one person in the Kursk region on Friday.