Russia’s New Spy Drone Is a Remote-Controlled Cyborg Pigeon

A Russian startup called Neiry Group is developing a new form of surveillance technology: cyborg pigeons.

Under the project PJN-1, scientists implant neural chips into the birds’ brains and strap cameras to their chests, allowing remote operators to steer their flight paths for covert monitoring.

The company claims these bio-drones outperform traditional drones due to pigeons’ natural endurance, ability to fly over 300 miles a day, and access to hard-to-reach locations, framing the technology as a tool for civilian infrastructure inspection.

However, security experts and independent investigations raise serious concerns, warning the pigeons could easily be weaponized for military espionage or even to transmit diseases, and noting the company has received roughly £10 million in funding from Kremlin-linked state sources.

With the CEO expressing controversial views on the war in Ukraine and plans to expand to other species like ravens and seagulls, this technology represents a significant and ethically fraught advancement at the intersection of biology and warfare.