Ukraine not losing but must keep up pace, make tech leap – Budanov

Ukraine is not losing the war, but it is important not to slow the pace of resistance and a new technological leap is needed, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov said at the 18th annual Kyiv Security Forum titled "Darkness or Dawn: Is There Light Ahead?"

"Are we winning this contest, this war? We are definitely not losing. But again, if we stop or reduce our pace – there are risks," Budanov said.

He added that unfortunately Russians "are breaking their records, but fortunately for us we are breaking ours in terms of the number and types of equipment deployed." However, he said this development is continuous, and if a certain technological progress is not made now, the effectiveness of these devices in reaching their targets will fall exponentially.

Both Ukraine and Russia are building up their electronic warfare capabilities and air defense, including drone interceptors, the lieutenant general said.

"A new technological leap is needed – artificial intelligence technologies and new signal transmission and control technologies. Because with what we have now, I believe both we and the Russians have reached our maximum. Beyond this, only quantitative growth is possible, but that will not resolve the issue," Budanov said.

The Kyiv Security Forum is an annual international event founded in 2007 at the initiative of Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation.