Russian startup Neiry, which has the backing of President Vladimir Putin's daughter, has created "bio" drones that are actually remote-controlled pigeons. This project could be implemented for military purposes, according to experts who expressed reservations about the possibility of actually achieving this. Despite everything, the factory seeks to go too far and even attempts to “reprogram” as well as “Russify” people, but especially Ukrainians.

Published on: 05/02/2026 - 16:56

After using spy dolphins and donkeys to transport weapons in Ukraine, Russia has begun testing "pigeon" pigeons, most likely for military purposes.

Two months ago, the Russian startup Neiry began testing that resembled a scenario from a science fiction movie. It has created “biological” drones, according to T-invariant, an independent media outlet created on February 1 by Russian scientists and science journalists living in exile.

These “biological” drones are nothing but a bathroom equipped with a chip implanted in the brain and a small abdominal bag that houses sensors and a camera.

Last November, the “Neri” company published a video clip on Telegram, showing the interaction of these drones with people supervising the experiment, and the way they were directed to the right or left, or even memorized them to land, in compliance with the directions of the pilot who supervises the “driving” of these vital “drones.”

“Live” drones for city purposes only?

A month later, Neiry said in a statement that she had developed the first model of this project, which she called the PJN-1. These “controlled bathrooms” are equipped with a small control unit, solar panels mounted on the back, and a camera similar to those already used in public spaces. The company appears to be working on weak stimulation of specific areas in the bird's brain, which prompts it to take certain paths and directions, according to a statement from the Moscow-based company.

Alexander Panov, deputy general director of Neri, says that this research is conducted with respect for the animal, emphasizing that the role of carrier pigeons in the 21st century will only be “civilian.” As announced, the PJN-1 model is only supposed to carry out surveillance operations at industrial sites, carry out search and rescue missions, or other tasks such as environmental inspections in difficult terrain.

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However, Geoff Hawn, an expert on Russian security issues at the London School of Economics, does not believe that this project will be 100 percent peaceful in nature. He says: "In the current context in Russia, all technological innovations will be diverted to serve military purposes by the authorities."

Perhaps the reason for these doubts is that Neri's company is supported by the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute at Moscow State University, which officially aims to develop dual-use technologies, that is, in the civilian and military fields.

By supporting this institute, Neri has gained influence even within Russian power circles, especially since Katerina Tikhonova, the youngest daughter of Vladimir Putin, is the one who runs the research institute.

On the other hand, Alexander Panov's work is funded, even in part, by entities linked to the influential Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin, who is considered one of the richest Russians, and among the few oligarchs from the era of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin who maintained close relations with the Kremlin during the Putin era.

Will Kingston-Cox, a Russia expert at the International Team for the Study of Security (ITSS) in Verona, explains how “these links are an indication that Alexander Panov’s research is, at least, being encouraged by the Russian authorities despite the lack of official support from the Kremlin.”

Questionable goals

For this expert, the military value of these pigeons lies primarily in their “natural camouflage.” Will Kingston-Cox adds: “Nobody, seeing a dove, would think it's just a drone operated by the Russians. Especially in urban areas.”

Experts interviewed by FRANCE 24 also point out that losing a pigeon would likely be less costly than losing a real drone.

In this context, Jeff Hawn said that attempts to exploit animals and turn them into “tools” of war “clearly fall into Russian and Soviet traditions.” In the 1990s, the Soviet Navy had a research center to train dolphins for spy missions.

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Then it is also noticeable that, since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army has not hesitated to use donkeys and horses to transport ammunition and soldiers with greater efficiency than that provided by armored vehicles, which are easily monitored by drones.

But there are no indications, so far, that the Russians will be able to use a controlled bathroom one day. Despite Panov's claims, Neri has not yet published any article in a scientific journal that allows for independent confirmation of progress in this field, according to the independent Russian news and investigative website Meduza.

For reference, China has previously shown interest in flying pigeons. But her research in this field has not yet yielded any results, perhaps due in particular to the difficulty of replicating laboratory successes in the natural environment.

Therefore, there is no reason to believe that Alexander Panov will do more than the Chinese did, according to Jeff Haun. It would not even be surprising, according to him, if Neri's goals were to "raise money for the people involved in the project." The researcher cites as an example what start-up companies in Silicon Valley do, which sell dreams to investors without guaranteeing any realization of their “vision.”

Reprogramming and "Russification"

But we should not ignore the fact that Neri's company practices brain implants that can be used for military purposes, and whose funding comes mainly from public funds. The source of more than a third of its funding is the Russian National Technology Initiative, which invested 360 million rubles (4.13 million euros) in this research in 2021.

Hence, it seems that Alexander Panov intends to prolong this project to the maximum. The “vital” marches can also be considered as the first stage of his great endeavors. The evidence for this is that he detailed his ultimate goal through a message on the Telegram platform, which raised the concern of human rights non-governmental organizations.

In fact, Neri hopes to eventually use these chips to "reprogram" people and "sell them to the state," the post said, also adding that "one of my next projects, which I have been thinking about for a long time, is about selling people to the state. (...) The reason is simple: with a low birth rate, all countries need population. Russia in particular. All types of people will be suitable, but those with the basic 'Russian culture' will be more appreciated."

For him, it would be the equivalent of a "superior human being." The experts we interviewed see this ambition as embodying Russia's nationalist version of “a techno-utopian ideology [ideas that are unattainable or irrelevant to reality - editor's note], or dystopia [a fantasy about a corrupt city] that exists mainly in Silicon Valley due to the influence of people like Peter Thiel or Elon Musk. It is the idea that humans would be better off if they could be a 'biological computer,'" says Jeff Hawn.

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Will Kingston-Cox relates the fact that Elon Musk views his Neuralink brain chip implant project as a tool to “activate human capabilities,” while Alexander Panov, for his part, seeks to “reprogram individuals to make them compatible with the Russian cultural pattern.”

Panov also believes that Ukrainians are the perfect candidate for the “Russification” program, because they are seen as “belonging to Russian culture but deviated from it. Therefore, they can be reprogrammed, which would be much less expensive than building and educating a new person from scratch,” he said.

Original text in French, transcribed into Arabic by: Amine Zerrouati

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