Russia-Ukraine: The Age Of Robotic Warfare Has Arrived

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Russia's war against Ukraine has become a full-scale technological conflict, where 70-80% of casualties are now caused by unmanned aerial drones. After three and a half years, the war has become a nonstop cat-and-mouse game, where every new weapon system offers only a brief two- or three-month advantage before the other side develops countermeasures.
That means the age of robotic warfare is here. We are witnessing its first stage in Ukraine's skies, on the ground, and at sea. The fastest military-tech development in the world is happening in Ukrainian garages, basements, and factories, where hundreds of small teams are building new-model drones and interceptors.
Many have been working nonstop since February 2022, without weekends or vacations. As soon as a new product is ready, it is deployed to the front line. Soldiers test it the next day, and within 24 hours, combat feedback is sent to developers, starting a new cycle. Some defence-tech teams even hand deliver their products to combat zones and work directly with soldiers on integration and iteration.
But Russia's war machine is also operating at full speed, with many factories running around the clock. A clear sign of how quickly Russia can scale up effective weapon systems came on July 9, when it launched 728 Shahed drones in a single day. By the end of the month, more than 6,200 Shaheds had been deployed – 14 times more than in July 2024, and 16% more than in June. To address this threat, at least two Ukrainian defence companies have developed AI-powered interceptor drones that use machine learning to identify and destroy Shaheds. On the best nights, they have achieved 60-70% success rates.
But the fight is evolving quickly. The Shaheds, too, are getting smarter. When Ukraine deployed machine guns for air defence, Shaheds responded by flying above 3km (1.9 miles) – well out of range. Then, in late July, Russia launched a jet-powered Shahed that can fly up to 700kmph, faster than most known interceptors. Moreover, some Shaheds are now equipped with thermal imaging, advanced processors, and even autonomous swarm co-ordination. They appear to sense when they are being hunted, swerving and dodging to escape their pursuer.
Such is the nature of the first-ever robot-on-robot war. The conflict is being waged by two autonomous systems, each trying to outsmart the other in real time. Similar breakthroughs are happening on the ground. FPV (first-person view) drones with optical cable connections (meaning their signal cannot be jammed) can now strike targets up to 30 kilometres from the frontline – making any movement in that zone extremely dangerous. Both sides have begun using“sleeping drones” that wait on the ground for hours until a target appears.
As a result, unmanned ground vehicles are now being deployed at scale – mostly for logistics, resupply, evacuation, mining, and even attacks. For now, Ukraine appears to be ahead in this area. In July, its 3rd Assault Brigade carried out a historic fully autonomous operation, combining FPV drones and ground robots to force Russian troops to surrender in Kharkiv Oblast without any Ukrainian soldiers participating directly in the assault.
One of Ukraine's biggest successes has been the use of maritime drones to push Russian ships out of the Black Sea. These units, too, have been upgraded over time. On December 31, 2024, a Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drone armed with a surface-to-air missile destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over the Black Sea. Never before had an unmanned surface vehicle shot down a manned aircraft. And now, some maritime drones are being used as launch platforms or communication relays for smaller drones, expanding both range and capability.
These are not isolated cases. They confirm that we have entered a new era of warfare, in which autonomous systems are central to battlefield success. Ukraine's top drone units operate like high-performance tech startups, each with its own recruitment, training, funding, and team culture. One advanced brigade includes more than 70 data architects analysing live intelligence around the clock. These units build rapid learning loops, adapting to battlefield changes faster than traditional military units.
The most successful new player in the Ukrainian conflict is former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's defence company Swift Beat, which plans to deliver hundreds of thousands of drones this year. The company has developed one of the most effective Shahed-interceptor drones, and is developing systems capable of intercepting cruise and ballistic missiles. But, remarkably, many of the new technologies are being developed not by large defence contractors, but by thousands of volunteers and civil society.
These kinds of innovations help to explain how Ukraine has managed to hold off a military superpower for so long. Nato and its allies urgently need to study and bolster their support for Ukraine. Robotic warfare is here, and Ukraine is writing the field manual. - Project Syndicate

• Ragnar Sass, an Estonian tech entrepreneur and angel investor, is Co-Founder of Pipedrive, a developer of customer relationship management software, and Founder of the Darkstar Coalition, which launched the first pan-European defence fund focused entirely on combat-proven military products.

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