Ukraine’s former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has launched a new defense initiative aimed at what he calls “the robotization of warfare.”
Dubbed the “Army of Robots,” the initiative focuses on using ground robots to replace human personnel in dangerous battlefield tasks.
Fedorov envisions ground systems evacuating wounded personnel, delivering ammunition, clearing mines, conducting reconnaissance, defending positions, and striking tactical targets.
The initiative would bring together different defense firms in a common ecosystem, with research projects tested alongside military forces to rapidly develop and scale working solutions.
“Robots should do the most dangerous work so our service members can come home,” Fedorov said on social media. “The battlefield of the future should work like this: First, a sensor detects a threat. Then a robot enters the danger zone.”
The effort builds on Kyiv’s previous “Army of Drones” project, which helped establish a drone infrastructure that now accounts for more than 95 percent of strike missions in Ukraine.
‘Next Technological Breakthrough’
Fedorov said Russia has been reverse-engineering Ukrainian capabilities and presented the Army of Robots as an effort to stay ahead of the country’s adversaries.
The initiative aims to bring together specialists from across Ukraine with investors and soldiers who have direct frontline experience.
Beyond replacing personnel in dangerous roles, Fedorov’s vision centers on using robotics to protect friendly airspace, counter threats on the ground, and deplete enemy tactical resources.
“Robotics is one of the areas where we see an opportunity to achieve the next technological breakthrough,” Fedorov stressed.
Applications are open to those interested in joining the project, while Fedorov is also seeking a chief technology officer to help lead the Army of Robots.
