Anthropic AI has joined the Ukraine war, after Russia took advantage (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,660)

Every day, the Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground. Subscribe for free here to get the full text delivered to your inbox. How Russia’s 2026 offensive failed on a single map. It did not work out near Lyman; the Russians will try to break through near Dobropillia. Trade with Iran and warships were the targets of attacks on the ports of Novorossiysk and Makhachkala. A return to September 2022 — Ukraine’s counteroffensive on a map. Maps of the day — the start of the offensive in autumn 2022; how the front has moved since January; the course of the battle for Dobropillia. Videos of the day — what the liberators found in a forest near Izium; an air raid on Makhachkala; Russians struck a petrol station in Kyiv; an attack on an Su-24 in Crimea. Welcome to the era of AI online warfare. Anthropic published a comprehensive report on the illegal misuse of its Claude AI model. It acknowledged both successful and unsuccessful attempts to misuse it. Ukraine Battlefield update will cover only those directly related to the war in Ukraine. Anthropic identified three Russian groups, of which at least one is considered state-backed, while another claims to have received financial support from the state. With Kremlin money and the Claude model, it is seeking to develop usable technology for operating swarms of AI-controlled drones. The way it is attempting to do so is disturbingly simple. The first group is linked to Midnight Blizzard. It is also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear. The US and UK governments consider it part of Russia’s civilian intelligence service. Among other things, it has been blamed for infiltrating US government networks through SolarWinds. Anthropic’s report identifies it as GTG-20006. Its activities are highly complex and appear to have been very successful. Using malware, it monitored around 20 Ukrainian government and military organisations. The attackers targeted ministries and their employees directly, seeking to obtain classified information. They showed particular interest in drones, about which they obtained disturbingly precise information. The Russians thus have access to part of what Ukrainians have been building for more than four years at great cost. Using the US AI model, they managed to steal development documentation for a system through which a drone surveys its surroundings and uses AI to recognise what it sees. The group then used the acquired materials to obtain important information about Ukrainian drone development. In searching for a weak point, GTG-20006 compromised hotel Wi-Fi networks, sent phishing emails and used similar methods. The artificial intelligence at its service monitored whether its malware had been detected and, if it had, AI rewrote it so that it could continue operating and evade protection. Least is known about the activities of the GTG-50021 group. More information concerns the third group — GTG-27005. It is known as DronDoc and Serafim, and claims that it is financed partly through grants from Russian state organisations, including the defence ministry. Its members, who otherwise present themselves as independent, downloaded Ukrainian combat videos from the internet, of the kind also featured in Ukraine Battlefield update, and are using them to try to create a machine-vision programme for controlling swarms of attack drones. How Russia’s 2026 offensive failed on a single map. Military analyst Konrad Muzyka of Rochan Consulting published a highly clear and useful map of the front line. It compares the situation in mid-January (the black line) with that at the beginning of September (the red line). It therefore also captures Ukraine’s success near Lyman. At this scale, covering almost the entire front line — only the far north is missing — it is striking at first glance how little territory the Russians managed to occupy over eight months of an offensive that was meant to lead to the occupation of the whole Donbas. The liberated area in the south of Dnipropetrovsk region is even the largest contiguous territory to have changed hands in 2026. By contrast, the Russians made their most significant gains east of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. This was not so much due to their scale, but to the very fact that they moved to within around 10 km of both cities. Two red arrows in the centre of the map point to the likely Russian plan that was thwarted near Lyman. The northern one leads from the eliminated Russian salient, while the southern one comes from the area around the town of Dobropillia. The most important effect of the Ukrainian counterattack north of Lyman is that it thwarted Russia’s attempt to envelop the Slovyansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration from the north. We assess that Russian forces have lost control of approximately 240 km² there. By comparison, they have… https://t.co/Iw2GdPfgxP pic.twitter.com/nkYJvLL54G— Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting (@konrad_muzyka) September 10, 2026 It did not work out near Lyman; the Russians will try to break through near Dobropillia. On Wednesday, there was a map by the Unit Observer project here, on which its authors marked the location to which the Ukrainian army redeployed the entire 210th Separate Assault Regiment to strengthen defences in the second key sector shown on Konrad Muzyka’s previous map. The same source now explains that the Russians are moving substantial reinforcements directly opposite them. They have redeployed a large part of the 41st Combined Arms Army and the 90th Guards Tank Army — tank army in name only — northeast of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Both groupings reinforced the remnants of heavily damaged formations that have been fighting here since the summer. As Unit Observer noted, this repeats last year’s pattern, when the Russian command moved some of its elite units into the same area. Since then, they have made virtually no progress northwards. Dobropillia 🇷🇺 ORBAT - Summer 2026Similar to last year, Russia has significantly reinforced the Dobropillia direction, seeking to capture the town itself while simultaneously developing the southeastern approach toward Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk.To that end, the “Center”… pic.twitter.com/pDhRRlfbGW— Unit Observer (@WarUnitObserver) September 10, 2026 The following map also focuses on the same area. Its authors said that September may have been the most intense month on this sector of the front line in terms of Ukrainian drone deployment. Daily Ukraine map thread for Thursday 10th September 2026Tonight our attention turns to the Dobropillya sector where the fighting is fierce. Pulling the map back, the wider picture becomes clear here, where Russia has pushed the front here approximately 12 kilometres in this… pic.twitter.com/fCBlzAgiPe— Ukraine Control Map (@UAControlMap) September 11, 2026 A large warehouse burned down near Kyiv; it may once again have contained ammunition. At least, that is what the Russians claim. So far, there have been no reports of consequences as tragic as those in the suburb of Vyshneve and the village of Myla near Bucha, where almost 50 civilians were killed in total. This warehouse was in Hostomel, and if it is confirmed that it was an ammunition depot, it would represent such a long series of similar incidents that it would point either to improved Russian reconnaissance or to an internal information leak. Looks like another major Ukrainian ammuntion depot got hit by Russian strikes tonight, as massive fire and secondary explosions are taking place in the area of Hostomel in Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast.In the last few months, the Russians were able to successfully target at least three… pic.twitter.com/heWsG3q5YS— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) September 10, 2026 Trade with Iran and warships were the targets of attacks on the ports of Novorossiysk and Makhachkala. We wrote about the attack on Novorossiysk on Wednesday. Satellite images have since emerged showing damage to the missile frigate Admiral Essen. The Ukrainians appear to have been trying to strike the launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles. Had they caused them to explode, the ship would have been torn apart. The damage, however, is evidently less severe. According to the Ukrainian website NV, after the air raid on Wednesday (9 September), Russia had only three to four vessels in its Black Sea Fleet capable of launching Kalibr missiles remaining — four times fewer than at the start of the invasion in 2022. Сили оборони уразили чотири російські кораблі у Новоросійську. Після атаки 9 вересня уражено: • малий ракетно-артилерійський корабель «Буян-М» (проєкт 21631) 3-го рангу — носій крилатих ракет «Калібр» та «Онікс»;• ракетоносій «Адмірал Ессен»;• великий десантний корабель… pic.twitter.com/XxAhdPigkF— Serhii Sternenko (@sternenko) September 10, 2026 The following two videos are from Makhachkala in Dagestan, on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Russia trades with Iran through this port. Two nights, two key Russian ports hit.Ukraine struck Makhachkala tonight. It’s a Russia’s only ice-free port on the Caspian Sea and a major logistics hub connecting Russia and Iran. The previous night, in Novorossiysk, at least three Russian warships were reportedly damaged:… pic.twitter.com/IG2dEKc5YW— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) September 10, 2026 A return to September 2022 — Ukraine’s counteroffensive on a map. It began entirely unexpectedly near Balakliia, quickly gathered momentum and ended with the liberation of Kupiansk, Izium and the entire area between the Oskil and Zherebets rivers. A tactical map published this week shows the Ukrainian army’s attack north of Balakliia and Izium. This particular attack ended with the liberation of the village of Shevchenkove, further east, on Wednesday (7 September 2022). The Ukrainians attacked here with elements of three brigades, which formed classic pincers from the north and south. An actual tactical map used the Ukrainian military at the beginning of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive.Marked in blue, we can see the advances of the Ukrainian 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, 25th Air Assault Brigade and 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade west of the… https://t.co/g8FcVzqu7f pic.twitter.com/Ubkjj2qVGC— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) September 10, 2026 The following video from Izium is also connected to this operation. It was recorded shortly after the attack near Shevchenkove, at the site of a mass burial ground near the city, where 447 graves were discovered. The overwhelming majority contained civilians. Several bodies showed signs of torture and execution. Today, there is an improvised memorial there. Four years ago today, Ukraine liberated Izium.What was uncovered shocked the world: 447 graves, including 414 civilians and 5 children. Most died violently.This is what russian occupation leaves behind.Mass graves.Never forget. Never forgive. pic.twitter.com/mAzKv00oJJ— UAVoyager🇺🇦 (@CrimeanVoyager) September 10, 2026 Videos of the day Russian drones are now attacking petrol stations directly in Kyiv as well. Two people were killed in the attack. Russia begins the strike campaign against gas stations in Kyiv.This morning, a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered long-range OWA-UAV impacted a gas station belonging to the "Ukrnafta" company, located in the Holosiivskyi district of the Ukrainian capital. pic.twitter.com/2DaeyIkcwj— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) September 10, 2026 Yesterday, we wrote about a destroyed Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft, which was struck by a Russian Geran-4 drone at Vasylkiv airfield. In turn, the Ukrainians struck an Su-24 tactical bomber in Crimea. It cannot be determined with certainty whether it was operational or decommissioned. The variable-sweep-wing aircraft has its wings in the take-off position, but without its flaps extended. It also has neither the typical external fuel tanks nor weapons mounted, and its vertical stabiliser appears damaged. During the attack on the airfield in Anapa, Krasnodar region, two other Russian Air Force aircraft were reportedly also hit — an Mi-8 helicopter and the far more valuable Su-30 multirole combat aircraft. What are the losses On Friday, there was no update. By Monday (7 September), Russia had demonstrably lost 24,066 pieces of heavy equipment (24,041 on Friday, 4 September). Of these, Ukrainians destroyed 19,034 (19,009), 1,000 (1,000) were damaged, 1,194 (1,194) were abandoned by their crews, and 2,838 (2,838) were captured by the Ukrainian army. This includes 4,446 (4,441) tanks, of which 3,351 (3,346) were destroyed in combat. Ukraine lost 12,097 (12,040) pieces of equipment, of which 9,507 (9,451) were destroyed, 698 (697) damaged, 693 (693) abandoned and 1,199 (1,199) captured. This includes 1,462 (1,459) tanks, of which 1,120 (1,123) were destroyed in combat. Note: Neither side regularly reports its own dead or destroyed equipment. Ukraine publishes daily figures for Russian casualties and destroyed equipment, which cannot be independently verified. This overview uses data from the Oryx project, which has compiled a list of equipment losses documented exclusively by photographs since the start of the war.