Former Ukrainian minister launches Army of Robots project to build battlefield machines

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has launched a new defence tech project called the Army of Robots to build systems that could eventually replace human soldiers in combat. Fedorov announced the project on social media and at the IT Arena conference in Lviv on September 26. This follows his dismissal as Defence Minister by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July. The project builds on his earlier Army of Drones programme from 2022. Fedorov said the new initiative will work as an ecosystem to invest in defence tech companies, build R&D units, and test solutions with the military.

Goals and Timeline

Fedorov stated that the project aims to see a humanoid robot kill an enemy soldier within six months and carry out a successful enemy position assault without infantry within 12 months. The initiative also seeks to develop humanoid robots to take the place of infantry soldiers in trenches. The announcement featured an AI-generated video showing futuristic robots fighting in trenches and fields. However, ground drones currently face practical limits such as limited energy and ammunition, and they need humans to recharge and reload them in the field. Most unmanned ground vehicles in Ukraine are operated directly by human controllers through Starlink internet connections rather than being fully autonomous.

Private Sector Shift

Fedorov's departure from government was followed by protests from thousands of Ukrainians calling for his return. He later called for elections in mid-August before moving into defence technology. During a trip to the United States in late August, he met donors and tech leaders and announced a fund for innovation. Days later, he said he would set up his own defence tech company, with Palantir CEO Alex Karp among its first investors. Fedorov did not name the organisation behind the Army of Robots initiative, and his press team did not respond to questions from The Kyiv Independent for clarification.