News Feed

Ukraine wants to develop AI for drone swarms, 'cheap' missiles, Fedorov says

2 min read
Ukraine wants to develop AI for drone swarms, 'cheap' missiles, Fedorov says
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov at the Globsec forum in Prague, Czechia, on Aug. 30, 2024. (Ray Baseley/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukraine seeks to involve weapons manufacturers in developing AI for drone swarms and "cheap missiles" to counter Russian kamikaze drones, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said at the Globsec Forum in Prague on Aug. 30, as reported by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing modern warfare.

According to Fedorov, Ukrainian soldiers now face numerous challenges, including Russian equipment and infantry, ammunition shortages, kamikaze drones, and reconnaissance drones.

In response, Ukrainian forces are employing low-cost first-person-view (FPV) drones, reconnaissance drones, small air defense systems, and domestically produced long-range drones to strike Russian targets, Fedorov said.

"What are the next challenges where we need your help? How to invent effective laser guidance, how to develop AI for swarms of drones, how to produce Ukrainian HIMARS, how to develop cheap Ukrainian missiles to shoot down Shaheds?" Fedorov said.

"I think we can succeed only together. We can work together and invent. We can produce together."

Kyiv has the capacity to manufacture more than three million drones annually but needs financing from foreign partners, Deputy Strategic Industries Minister Hanna Hvozdiar said.

‘The goal should be strategic defeat of Russia’ – Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds
Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for clarity. Latvia has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since the start of the all-out war. Sharing a border with both Russia and its ally Belarus, the small Baltic country understands Ukraine’s struggle all too well. As
Article image

Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed

"It is legitimate and lawful for China to conduct normal economic, trade and energy cooperation with all countries around the world, including Russia," China's Foreign Ministry said in response to question about Russian oil purchases posed by Bloomberg. "We will continue to adopt reasonable energy security measures in accordance with our national interests."

"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that "further details will follow."

Video

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, foreigners flocked to Ukraine to join its defense against Russian forces. More than three years later, the foreign fighters who remain are a different breed — driven by a deep commitment to Ukraine.

Show More