Jake Epstein
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Jake Epstein
@byjepstein.bsky.social
300 followers 150 following 130 posts
Senior defense reporter at Business Insider covering national security and global military issues. Reach out: [email protected].

https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jake-epstein
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Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
A Ukrainian manufacturer said they are "deeply concerned" that the country has gone through three defense ministers in a little over a year:

Via Sinéad Baker and @byjepstein.bsky.social

www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-arms...
Ukraine's weapons makers fear a costly slowdown after their tech champion was pushed out of the defense ministry
Defense industry sources worry about what Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal could mean for battlefield innovation at a pivotal moment in the war.
www.businessinsider.com
July 20, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
When Russian sailors opened fire on Ukraine's explosive-laden boats, nearby drones launched small aerial drones to kill them.

Uncrewed boats are evolving rapidly, as @byjepstein.bsky.social reports:

www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-dro...
Ukraine's war drones are catching new rides into battle
Motherships are helping Ukraine send small drones farther into battle and strike from less predictable directions.
www.businessinsider.com
July 17, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Foreign volunteers can earn as much as $10,000 a month fighting for Ukraine. An official described it as the "highest salaries in the world for infantry."

via @byjepstein.bsky.social

www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-payi...
Ukraine is paying big to get foreign fighters to the front. Keeping them there is the hard part.
Foreign fighters told Business Insider that new contracts and higher pay could fix manpower issues if soldiers stick around long enough.
www.businessinsider.com
July 6, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
"Ironically, the hardest thing in FPV piloting is flying very slowly or hovering in one place, said Radio, a Ukrainian drone instructor.

@byjepstein.bsky.social went inside Ukraine's drone academy:

www.businessinsider.com/ukrainians-w...
Ukraine's war drone pilots must first survive the 'Killhouse'
As drones radically change how wars are fought, Ukraine is putting would-be pilots through a test of nerves and skill before sending them to fight.
www.businessinsider.com
June 30, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
The battle bots rolling out are designed for the missions Ukrainian troops avoid: Hauling hundreds of pounds of supplies, laying mines, launching aerial drones — even attacking Russian positions.

@byjepstein.bsky.social reported from the factory floor:

www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-war-...
Ukraine's war robots are surging into the kill zone
Business Insider went inside a Ukrainian factory building ground robots for deadly missions soldiers can no longer risk.
www.businessinsider.com
June 22, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Ukraine has found that ground drones are most useful for supplying frontline positions with ammo and fuel, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports:

www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-op...
Ukrainian operators say troops don't need a bunch of different war robots. They need more services.
The Ukrainian market is saturated with different types of ground robots, but unit commander would like more holistic services.
www.businessinsider.com
June 17, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
A Corsair surface drone picked up the downed Apache pilots, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-surf...
The US says Iran shot down an Army Apache helicopter in the Middle East. A new sea drone rescued the crew.
Elite US airborne troops from the 82nd Airborne Division were among the American forces involved in leading the rescue operation.
www.businessinsider.com
June 9, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Not a great look as Russia's premier economic forum kicks off.

via @byjepstein.bsky.social

www.businessinsider.com/satellite-im...
Satellite images show a blazing Russian oil terminal from Ukraine's strikes during the annual Russian Davos
Ukraine also struck a Russian warship at a naval facility near St. Petersburg as guests flocked to the city for Russia's flagship economic forum.
www.businessinsider.com
June 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Russia lost 179 soldiers for every square kilometer it advanced in April. Taken overall, it lost more territory than it gained.

@byjepstein.bsky.social with a breakdown of the battlefield shift:

www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-sets...
Ukraine wants Russia to pay for every square kilometer it takes with at least 200 losses — and it's been hitting its number
Ukraine's defense chief said stripping Russia of Starlink and hitting it with mid-range strikes has contributed to the high losses.
www.businessinsider.com
May 22, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Ukraine says it has an "Equalizer" for Russia's devastating glide bomb attacks.

@byjepstein.bsky.social @chrispanella.bsky.social got some of the new weapon's specs:

www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-buil...
Ukraine built its first-ever guided glide bomb, 'Vyrivniuvach,' as a much cheaper homegrown alternative to US-made JDAMs
The Vyrivniuvach, made by DG Industry with support from Brave1, is cheaper than Western equivalents and will be compatible with a mix of aircraft.
www.businessinsider.com
May 18, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Ukrainians stayed in a parking garage for hours yesterday to wait out one of Russia's rare daytime barrages.
@byjepstein.bsky.social was there:

www.businessinsider.com/russia-dayti...
Inside a Kyiv bomb shelter as Russia's daytime drone attack turned into unrelenting overnight missile fire
Business Insider journalists witnessed a rare, day-long Russian onslaught that began with daytime drones and turned into nighttime missile fire.
www.businessinsider.com
May 14, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers were successfully tested in Jordan, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports:

www.businessinsider.com/british-forc...
British forces are getting new high-speed interceptor missiles to defend against Iranian Shahed drones
British troops are getting missiles produced by a UK-based startup as top militaries seek a cost-effective defense against attack drones.
www.businessinsider.com
May 1, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
DDGs are positioned to provide air and surface defenses around the Strait, @byjepstein.bsky.social reported:

www.businessinsider.com/us-warships-...
US Navy destroyers that weren't built to hunt and clear mines led the way on a risky new mission in the Strait of Hormuz
The American military sent two destroyers through the strategic waterway in support of mine-clearing and ahead of a full blockade of Iran's ports.
www.businessinsider.com
April 15, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
The captain of a US Navy oiler ordered a route change to get into port faster: "Let's try to shoot the gap there."

Things went very wrong from there, as @byjepstein.bsky.social breaks down: www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-ship...
A US Navy oiler ran hard aground after its captain urged a last-minute shortcut: 'Let's try to shoot the gap'
The USNS Big Horn suffered more than $20 million in damage after the Middle East grounding, a command investigation reveals.
www.businessinsider.com
March 11, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Merops interceptor drones have proven their value in Ukraine and eastern Europe, BI's @byjepstein.bsky.social and Matthew Loh report

www.businessinsider.com/merops-middl...
The US is sending a new drone-killer to the Middle East. It's logged over 1,000 Shahed intercepts over Ukraine.
The Merops system uses a roughly $15,000 reusable interceptor drone, giving the US a cheaper air defense option against Iran's Shahed drones.
www.businessinsider.com
March 9, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
"We were sure the US had some secret weapon" against Shahed drones, a Ukrainian commander said. The war in Iran proved that wrong.

Via BI's @byjepstein.bsky.social , Sinéad Bake and Matthew Loh:

www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-tr...
Ukrainian troops say their hard-won lessons on Iranian Shaheds apply far beyond their war at home
Ukraine developed low-cost ways to defeat Iranian drone designs, and some troops say the lessons from its war now have wider relevance.
www.businessinsider.com
March 6, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
New US weapons the US has used against Iran:
-Ground-fired ballistic missiles
-Large exploding drones

@byjepstein.bsky.social has been closely tracking munitions used:

www.businessinsider.com/iran-war-pro...
The Iran war is becoming a proving ground for the newest US weapons
LUCAS drones and PrSM missiles are two of the many munitions that American forces have used to strike Iranian targets.
www.businessinsider.com
March 5, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Extensive damage seen at Iran's bases and ports. @byjepstein.bsky.social has a battle damage assessment of Iran with Sunday images: www.businessinsider.com/satellite-im...
Images show destruction at Iran's drone bases, naval sites, radars
The US and Israel said they hit hundreds of targets across Iran, ranging from military sites to high-ranking officials.
www.businessinsider.com
March 1, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Satellite images show one Iranian warship on fire while at least four others nearby look untouched, @chrispanella.bsky.social and @byjepstein.bsky.social report www.businessinsider.com/satellite-im...
Satellite images show an Iranian warship burning pierside after US and Israeli strikes
New satellite imagery captures initial damage from the US and Israel's attack on Iran, including a burning warship and drone activity at air bases.
www.businessinsider.com
February 28, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
The US military attacked Iran on Saturday with its new LUCAS drones. @byjepstein.bsky.social reported on these new weapons produced by the US firm SpektreWorks: www.businessinsider.com/new-us-milit...
A new US military task force just used its cheap Shahed lookalike drones for the first time to strike Iran
The drone's development comes as the Pentagon pushes to procure and field inexpensive drones to keep pace with adversaries.
www.businessinsider.com
February 28, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
CENTCOM says it defended against "hundreds" of Iranian missiles with air defenses like Patriot, THAAD and warship-fired Standard Missiles, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/us-weapons-u...
Here are the weapons America used to strike Iran — and shield against retaliation
From Tomahawk cruise missiles to Patriot air defense batteries, the US has used a range of weapons in its latest Middle East fight.
www.businessinsider.com
February 28, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
US ground, air, and naval forces were involved in strikes against Iran, along with Israeli F-35 stealth fighters and F-15 jets, @byjepstein.bsky.social reported www.businessinsider.com/us-forces-ai...
US forces are locked in air-defense battles, fending off attacks on American bases amid the fighting with Iran, official says
A US official told Business Insider that land, air, and naval forces are participating in the air defense operations.
www.businessinsider.com
February 28, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
"We have an opportunity to focus on strengthening ourselves," a top Norwegian officer told @byjepstein.bsky.social of Arctic exercises www.businessinsider.com/russia-arcti...
Russia's Arctic units have been wrecked in Ukraine, but NATO is bracing for a 'dangerous' comeback
NATO needs to use this time to prepare for a Russian resurgence in the Arctic, a top Norwegian military official told Business Insider.
www.businessinsider.com
February 24, 2026 at 10:44 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
North Korean soldiers are gaining valuable combat experience in Ukraine spotting their artillery fire with drones, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/for-ukraine-...
For Ukrainian troops, the North Korea problem isn't soldiers launching assaults. It's artillery, lawmaker says.
North Korean forces initially supported Russia with infantry assaults, but they've pivoted to drone and artillery operations.
www.businessinsider.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Jake Epstein
samfellman.bsky.social
Scenes from this actual NATO training look like Star Wars' planet Hoth — complete with arctic camouflage, assault vehicles and lasers.

Read @byjepstein.bsky.social's report from the Arctic circle: www.businessinsider.com/how-finland-...
NATO is readying soldiers for a frozen Arctic war. It means learning to fight on skis and snowmobiles.
Business Insider traveled north of the Arctic Circle to watch Finland's Jaeger Brigade train NATO forces on winter warfare and cold-weather survival.
www.businessinsider.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:32 PM