Ukrainian official advocates for artificial intelligence, autonomous drones deployment to battlefield

Budanov advocated for the development of drones capable of independently identifying targets and manoeuvring, as well as the full integration of artificial intelligence.

“In military terms, we are at a stage where the quantitative increase in drones no longer solves the issue fundamentally. Both we and the enemy have reached a certain maximum in the use of existing control technologies. The next stage is the full integration of artificial intelligence,” he said.

“We need a transition to autonomous systems that can identify targets and manoeuvre independently. Ukraine already has such developments, and I am convinced that they will soon become a surprise for the enemy.”

The Ukrainian officials also highlighted the importance of enforcement in international law.

“No one in the world deals with the weak, and international law does not work without force. To achieve success in negotiations, we must be strong on the battlefield and united in the rear,” he said.

“Our red lines remain unchanged: we do not recognise any territorial losses and are not going to trade our own land. Any compromise must primarily satisfy the interests of Ukraine.”

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Western spectators and governments have previously opposed the use of autonomously targeting drones due to ethical considerations, the prospect of misidentifying targets and fear of unintended consequences.

Nevertheless, a number of international countries are allegedly developing the technology as a priority, including China, Russia and Iran.

Robert Dougherty

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.