Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced the launch of the Robot Army project to develop and scale up robotic technologies for use in the war, emphasizing the need to employ them for the most dangerous tasks and to save the lives of military personnel.
He noted that the Drone Army was launched in Ukraine in 2022; currently, drones account for over 95% of target engagements, with more than 700 UAV manufacturers operating in the country.
"The goal of the Robot Army is to save human lives. Robots should perform the most dangerous work so that our soldiers return home," Fedorov wrote in a post shared on his Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to him, robotic technologies should be used for evacuating the wounded, transporting ammunition, laying and clearing mines, reconnaissance, defending positions, and engaging targets.
"The Robot Army is not a single company. It is an ecosystem," Fedorov emphasized.
Fedorov noted that the project plans to invest in defense-tech companies, launch proprietary technology projects, establish R&D facilities, and test solutions in collaboration with military personnel. He also stressed the necessity of constantly developing new technologies ahead of the adversary, given that Russia has learned to rapidly copy and scale up military innovations.
"To ensure that robots fight, not people"—this is how he defined the goal of robotizing warfare.
According to him, a search for defense-tech companies and engineers, working with robotics technologies, as well as a CTO/Tech Lead for the Robot Army, was launched at IT Arena in Lviv on Saturday. Fedorov called on developers of technologies capable of transforming the battlefield to join the project.
