Hundreds of interconnected drones, controlled by artificial intelligence and capable of attacking without human intervention: Ukraine is intensifying its research on this cutting-edge technology to counter the Russian numerical advantage.
Four years after the start of the Russian invasion, the development of drone swarms constitutes one of the most strategic priorities of the Ukrainian defense industry. This country, which positions itself as a world expert in drone warfare, seeks to achieve a system where devices communicate with each other and act in a coordinated manner without direct human command.
During a recent conference on drone autonomy organized in Lviv, Yuri Fedorenko, Ukrainian military expert, highlighted the enthusiasm generated by this technology. His interlocutors regularly ask him to see swarms already operational, capable of carrying out missions without human intervention. Volodymyr, code name “Colt”, head of civil-military cooperation of the 412th Ukrainian brigade, confides that the military has been waiting for this breakthrough for a long time and that the only unknown remains its deployment schedule.
Ukrainian military and industrial officials said significant progress had been made in this area. Other observers, however, believe that the road remains long and that the swarms represent only one part of a much larger race towards autonomous warfare.
The main objective of these systems is to allow a small number of operators to simultaneously deploy dozens, even hundreds of attack drones. This capability would aim to overwhelm enemy defenses and compensate for Ukraine’s numerical inferiority against Russia. Andriï Lebedenko, deputy commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, insists on the primary purpose of these developments: preserving the lives of soldiers. He specifies that projects already exist, that they are gaining in scale and that a massive deployment could take place in the years to come.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for the use of advanced technologies to counter Russian assaults. He notably launched a center specializing in military artificial intelligence, called “Defense AI Center A1”, responsible for analyzing combat experience and deploying innovations. Danylo Tsvok, director of this center, confirms that drone swarms constitute a research priority, while specifying that many aspects remain confidential due to the ongoing test phases.
The Swarmer company, founded in Ukraine and listed on the American Nasdaq at the start of the year, has established itself as a major player in this sector. Its US director, Alex Fink, says his company has been deploying drone swarm technology in combat since April 2024. These systems can deploy multiple aircraft autonomously in an area, after which human pilots intervene to manually engage a target, or operators select targets and the drones carry out strikes. autonomously. Mr. Fink specifies, however, that technology is not at the point of being able to make strategic or even tactical decisions concerning the relevance of a target, and that humans must remain in charge.
During the Lviv conference, a certain skepticism was also expressed. Iaroslav Ajniouk, director of Fourth Law, a company specializing in drone autonomy, believes that swarms are overestimated and mainly fuel a science fiction story. He compares this technology to software development and judges that focusing on swarms amounts to neglecting all developments in the sector. For him, the development of total and massively expandable weapons autonomy constitutes the real challenge of the 21st century, comparable to the American atomic bomb program. He warns of the consequences if hostile powers manage to master this technology first.
Moscow has also made artificial intelligence and drones its military priorities. An April 2026 report from military expert Kateryna Bondar indicates that the Russian military may have already deployed a fully autonomous unmanned system in combat. Anton Melnyk, co-founder of MITS Capital, a company financing Ukrainian defense, sums up the issue: either kyiv and its NATO partners will master this technology first, or the enemy will.
