Russian developers used Claude AI to build ‘kamikaze’ drones: Anthropic

Anthropic flags alleged AI use in Russian drone and cyber operations

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Anthropic has raised concerns that a small group of freelance developers in Russia may have used its Claude artificial intelligence system while building software for autonomous first-person-view drones designed to strike targets in Ukraine.

The allegation appears in Anthropic’s 154-page examination of malicious uses of Claude in surveillance, influence and cyber activities linked to state-backed actors. The company said the developers worked on drone-control capabilities that could guide aircraft during their final approach, identify targets and coordinate attacks involving more than one drone.

The software was allegedly intended for FPV “kamikaze” drones carrying explosives. Such systems can be flown into an object and destroyed on impact. Anthropic said the reported design would allow drones to choose targets and detonate without a person approving the final attack decision.

Donetsk location allegedly entered repeatedly

Anthropic said the developers repeatedly supplied a location in Ukraine’s Donetsk region as a target while using a virtual private network to get around the company’s geographic restrictions. The claim underscores the difficulty AI providers face when trying to enforce access controls across borders and prevent civilian tools from being adapted for military purposes.

Small FPV drones have become central to the war in Ukraine. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces use them widely for reconnaissance and attacks, making software that improves navigation, targeting or coordination potentially significant on the battlefield.

The report also described broader misuse of AI in cyber operations. Anthropic said cybercriminal groups and government-backed hackers are using generative AI at an increasing number of stages in their campaigns, from preparing lures and researching targets to developing code and refining malicious tools.

Cyber campaign targeted Ukrainian institutions

One group was said to have used AI extensively while conducting phishing operations, taking over WhatsApp accounts and hijacking hotel Wi-Fi connections. Its targets included people connected to Ukraine’s government, armed forces and diplomatic institutions.

Reuters said the activity and methods resembled those associated with Midnight Blizzard, a Russia-based threat actor previously connected by the US government to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment when contacted.

Anthropic further said the group used AI to create a system that monitored whether security products had detected its malware. When detection occurred, the system could repeatedly alter the malicious code in an effort to avoid cybersecurity defences. The allegation highlights a major concern for defenders: AI can reduce the time and technical effort required to modify harmful software, potentially allowing attackers to test more variations at speed.

Kyiv faces fresh drone strikes

The findings emerged while Russian attacks on Kyiv intensified. A new wave involving jet-powered drones struck petrol stations across the Ukrainian capital, increasing pressure on civilian infrastructure.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said strikes on two petrol stations on Friday morning killed two people and injured 12 others. A third station had been hit the previous day. Each of the three affected sites belonged to Ukrnafta, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas producer.

A Telegram list naming 18 Kyiv petrol stations as possible Russian drone targets had circulated from Wednesday. The three damaged locations were included in that list. The incidents illustrate how public information circulating online can add to anxiety during periods of sustained aerial attack, particularly when essential services and fuel supplies are at risk.

Putin repeats criticism of Western policy

Russian President Vladimir Putin again assigned responsibility for the war to Western governments, arguing that pressure on Moscow and efforts to bring Ukraine closer to NATO created the crisis.

Speaking to journalists before the BRICS summit in India, Putin described the conflict as the product of what he called persistent Western failures in political, economic and security policy. He also pointed to attempts to integrate Ukraine into NATO following the 2014 flight of a Ukrainian president seen as friendly to Russia.

Putin said voters in Europe were becoming more aware of events and linked that view to support for far-right movements, including Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Diplomatic and economic pressure continues

A White House official said on Friday that a Russian representative would attend a G20 energy meeting in Houston the following week. The planned appearance follows the in-person participation of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a G20 finance ministers’ meeting in North Carolina last month.

Siluanov’s presence angered European officials and marked the first in-person attendance by a Russian finance minister at that forum since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The energy meeting is taking place as European Union auditors warn that gas-storage levels are dropping to concerning levels before winter. Efforts to cut the bloc’s reliance on Russian oil and gas have also encountered difficulties, leaving energy security a continuing concern for European governments.

In Washington, the US House of Representatives is expected to consider a stringent Russia sanctions measure next week. The proposal is intended to increase pressure on Putin and encourage negotiations aimed at ending the war. Its future remains unclear despite substantial Senate backing.

Several senior Democratic lawmakers have warned that the measure could greatly widen President Donald Trump’s tariff authority. They fear the new powers could potentially be directed at US allies as well as adversaries, adding another point of dispute to the debate over how Washington should respond to Russia’s war.