Robots and AI change warfare: Ukraine preparing thousands of machines

According to him, the buggy-like vehicles are an example of how technology is changing positional warfare in Ukraine and will relieve troops of the need to operate in areas near the front line, where Russian shelling and drones often occur.

“This year we purchased several thousand ground platforms, and next year, I believe, we need tens of thousands,” said the Minister, who has been in charge of drone procurement for most of the war, in an interview. As of this month, he is no longer in charge of purchasing drones.

Fedorov said the machines are already being used along the front and in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv's forces carved out an enclave during the August invasion. There are several training centers in Ukraine to train for their use, he added.

Drones at war

The use of military technology is rapidly evolving despite the fact that the war has become a bloody, exhausting struggle with no significant changes on the battlefield, despite Russia's recent accelerated successes that began 33 months after the invasion in 2022.

According to Fedorov, since 2023, Ukraine's production of long-range drones has increased tenfold, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set a goal of producing 30,000 of these deep-damage weapons next year.

Russia is launching thousands of long-range drones a month, actively using low-cost decoy drones that wear down Ukraine's air defense forces, which see the mark on radar and are forced to shoot it down.

Fedorov said that Ukraine also used decoy drones and sometimes launched more attack drones in a single night than Russia, but it was not just a numbers game.

“[AI is] used to some extent, but the more critical issues are connectivity and launch methods of deep strike (drones). Russia has improved monitoring of (Ukraine's) drone launches, quickly responding and targeting launch sites. These nuances require constant launch method and connectivity changes,” he said.

According to him, Ukraine has strike drones that can fly up to 1,800 kilometers.

He also confirmed that Ukraine is working on drones to intercept long-range strike drones like the Shahed, which Russia uses for its nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities.

“Some companies that produce... aircraft are conducting tests that, thanks to specialized software and radars, can hit Shaheds, but it's still at the research and development stage. There are some results,” he said.

He said that this year Ukraine has signed a contract to purchase 1.6 million drones, of which 1.3 million have been delivered, including low-cost FPV drones equipped with cameras that allow them to be remotely piloted to achieve targets.

Artificial intelligence

Ukraine is also using dozens of domestic artificial intelligence systems that enable its drones to reach targets on the battlefield without pilots, allowing them to remain effective in areas protected by strong obstacles.

Fedorov said that ten companies are constantly competing in public procurement for the right to supply AI-based products.

“There is some testing by certain companies producing ... aircraft that, thanks to specialised software and radars, can strike Shaheds, but this is still in the research and development phase. There are certain results,” he said.

According to UK intelligence, the main event that changed the nature of the Russian-Ukrainian war was the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine successfully used UAVs against military targets in Russia. In mid- and late September, Ukraine struck four Russian strategic ammunition depots hundreds of kilometers away from Ukraine. The total tonnage of ammunition destroyed at the facilities is the largest loss of Russian and North Korean ammunition during the war.