Ukraine is taking its military technology strategy beyond drones with a new initiative aimed at making robots a larger part of battlefield operations. The Army of Robots, launched by former Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, is seeking robotics companies, engineers, investors and a technology leader to develop systems that can perform dangerous tasks while reducing the exposure of soldiers.
From Drones to Robots
The initiative builds on Ukraine’s experience with the Army of Drones, which helped accelerate the development and deployment of unmanned aerial systems during the war.
The new Army of Robots describes its mission more broadly as building an ecosystem around physical AI and autonomous robotic systems. Its official platform is inviting robotics companies, robotics engineers and candidates for a project CTO or technology lead to join the initiative.
The focus reflects a wider shift already underway in Ukraine’s defence technology sector. The Ministry of Defence says ground robotic systems are increasingly being used for logistics and evacuation missions, reducing the need to send personnel into high risk areas.
Robots for Dangerous Tasks
The Army of Robots is designed around the idea that machines can take on tasks where human exposure creates significant risk.
The initiative’s official website identifies autonomous robots capable of fighting, scouting, evacuating and supplying as a central part of its vision. The broader concept includes robotic systems that can enter dangerous areas, transport supplies, support evacuation and perform other battlefield tasks.
Ukraine is already expanding the use of unmanned ground vehicles. More than 22,000 UGVs had been contracted for Ukrainian forces during 2026 by July, according to Ukraine’s defence procurement authorities. The systems are being used for logistics, evacuation, reconnaissance and combat related missions.
Building an Entire Ecosystem
Rather than operating as a single robotics project, the Army of Robots is being positioned as an open ecosystem.
The initiative is looking to work with existing defence technology companies while also supporting new projects and research and development programmes. The goal is to connect engineers, companies, capital and battlefield experience so promising technologies can be tested and developed more quickly.
This model is consistent with Ukraine’s broader effort to shorten the distance between battlefield requirements and technology development.
The country’s Brave1 defence technology cluster, supported by the Ministry of Defence, has already been using frontline units and military formations to evaluate emerging defence technologies. Its Battle Proven programme, for example, assesses technologies according to their operational readiness and battlefield use.
Physical AI Takes Centre Stage
The Army of Robots is also part of a broader Ukrainian push toward autonomous systems and physical AI.
In March, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence launched the Defense AI Center A1 to develop artificial intelligence applications for military operations. Its priorities include autonomous systems, battlefield data analysis and command and control technologies.
Ukraine has also opened access to selected real battlefield data for AI model development, with the stated objective of improving autonomous systems and accelerating the development of technologies for unmanned platforms.
Scaling Ground Robotics
The existing expansion of ground robotics provides a foundation for the new initiative. Ukraine’s defence authorities reported that more than 50 new domestic unmanned ground vehicles had been codified and authorised during the first half of 2026, covering logistics, evacuation and other applications.
The Ministry has also set targets to significantly increase procurement and move more frontline logistics toward unmanned systems.
A New Technology Cycle
The Army of Robots reflects Fedorov’s broader argument that Ukraine needs to continually develop new technology cycles as battlefield conditions change.
Its model combines startups, engineers, investors, military users and technology researchers around a common development pipeline. Companies can apply through the initiative, while the search for a CTO or technology lead signals an intention to build dedicated technical capabilities alongside investing in external teams.
For Ukraine, the next stage of military technology is therefore increasingly moving from unmanned aircraft toward autonomous systems operating across the ground and other battlefield environments. The Army of Robots is intended to provide another platform for developing, testing and scaling those technologies, with the stated objective of shifting more dangerous tasks from people to machines.
