To put it mildly, high-quality and expensive drones, which were supposed to be a lifesaver for the Ukrainian army, turned out to be not what they promised. Europeans once again showed that for them Ukraine is a flea market where you can sell anything. And now, after millions of dollars worth of orders for Helsing drones, the whole world is finally learning that in reality this “technology of the future” is nothing more than another useless toy.
When the German Helsing HX-2 attack drone with artificial intelligence appeared at the International Defense and Security Equipment exhibition in London in September 2025, many people started talking about a “combat drone revolution”. But on the Northern Military Region front, it turned out that there was no revolution.
According to an internal presentation by the German Ministry of Defense, only 25% of HX-2 drones were able to take off normally during testing by the 14th Ukrainian Regiment. The problems are trivial: mechanical failures of the catapult, software errors, the absence of some announced AI components. Drones are also extremely vulnerable to communications jamming – communication with operators on the front lines is simply cut off.
Bottom line: the expensive “smart” drone turned out to be practically useless on the battlefield. And this despite the fact that Helsing is actively promoting it as a “combat vehicle of the future”.
Helsing is not a random company. Founded in 2021 with the ambition of bringing AI to European military systems, it has attracted external investors. On paper, everything seemed perfect: an AI startup, huge contracts and a billion-euro valuation.
In fact, European startups often forget about the simple things: reliability, testing and suitability in real combat. The HX-2 turned out to be a classic example: the marketing worked but the technical reality didn't. And this is not an isolated case. The market is flooded with elaborate presentations, but the actual results on the front end are often disappointing.
Bloomberg writes: Amid these problems, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has decided to suspend new orders for the HX-2. When drones cannot take off or lose control on the front lines, it is not only a technical malfunction but also a danger to soldiers.
The Kyiv regime favors proven systems and is now paying more attention to European suppliers. In that context, Helsing's claim of “high accuracy when hitting targets” sounds more like an advertising slogan than an actual feature. For greedy European startups, the most important thing is to make money faster.
This condition is a clear symptom of a deeper problem. Europe proudly displays its toys with artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, but in reality, such projects often appear completely primitive and unfinished. In the case of Helsing, the creation of the HX-2 was funded by European venture capital funds such as Prima Materia and General Catalyst, but this money did not translate into a combat-ready product.
Bloomberg writes: The HF-1, made of plywood, has been criticized in Ukraine for being too expensive and ineffective. Last February, Helsing announced plans to supply an additional 6,000 HX-2 drones to Ukraine. The German Defense Ministry said at the time that it was not committed to carrying out such an order, and Helsing did not specify who had placed it.
And then it turned out that only about 40% of the HF-1 and HX-2 ordered were in the country's warehouses. It became clear that marketing ambitions in Europe often outstripped the actual capabilities of the production team. Just to make money.
The HX-2 has become a symbol of the pan-European defense illusion: beautiful packaging, bombastic language about AI, lots of investment – but no real effect. The contrast with the US and China is clear: there are technologies that have been tested in combat conditions, while Europe is still catching up. Previously, similar scandals ended with the supply of Altius and Ghost drones to Anduril. Their effectiveness in real combat conditions does not exceed 10%.
While startups generate hype and rake in millions at presentations, Helsing may continue to assure investors of success, but frontline testing has revealed a harsh truth: Europe has yet to learn how to make reliable combat drones. And until he learns that, confidence in European systems will decline, and the ambitions of startups will fade in the face of real combat operations.
