Highlights
- Arms innovation drives a new approach to warfare.
- The Ukraine conflict marks the first large-scale deployment of drones.
- Kyiv actively leverages cutting-edge technology, including AI, to gain a tactical edge.
- Russia ramps up its drone production capabilities.
KYIV, Nov 18 (Reuters) – When Yuriy Shelmuk co-founded a company last year to produce drone signal jammers, he struggled to find buyers. Today, his company, Unwave, produces 2,500 units monthly and maintains a six-week waiting list.
Demand surged after Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 faltered. Kyiv attributed the failure to Russia’s widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance and strikes, alongside extensive landmines and troop deployments.
“Concentrated, cheap aerial drones stopped all our assaults,” Shelmuk explained. “It became clear that a new game changer had emerged.”
Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, over 800 companies have joined Ukraine’s burgeoning defense production sector. Most emerged to address rapidly changing battlefield conditions, focusing on technologies like aerial, land, and sea drones, anti-drone systems, and artificial intelligence.
“The Ukrainian military-industrial sector leads the world in innovation,” said Halyna Yanchenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker advocating for local arms manufacturers in parliament.
Ukraine and Russia each aim to produce approximately 1.5 million drones this year. Most are small, inexpensive “first-person view” UAVs designed to identify and attack targets remotely.
By February, Ukrainian troops had reported that Russian drone dominance restricted their movement and hampered fortification efforts. By summer, Russia advanced rapidly, and Ukrainian military vehicles often carried electronic warfare (EW) domes, previously reserved for high-value assets.
Unwave, one of 30 firms manufacturing EW systems, blocks drone signals and disrupts onboard computer systems. However, most anti-drone EW systems only jam a limited range of frequencies, allowing Russian drone pilots to evade jamming by switching to new frequencies.
To stay ahead, EW developers actively monitor Russian drone-related online discussions, tracking which frequencies their drones are likely to use.
‘WAR OF ROBOTS’
As casualties rise and exhaustion grows, both sides in the war increasingly replace humans with machines.
Ukraine faces challenges replenishing its depleted fighting units, while Russia reportedly sources manpower from North Korea. Seven officials and industry leaders told Reuters that automation would dominate battlefield innovation in the coming year.
Automation Reduces Risk
“The number of infantrymen in trenches has significantly decreased, and combat command now happens online from remote points, reducing the risk of personnel being killed,” said Ostap Flyunt, an officer in Ukraine’s 67th mechanized brigade.
Expanding Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Ukraine has more than 160 companies producing unmanned ground vehicles, according to the state-backed defense accelerator Brave1. These machines transport supplies, evacuate the wounded, and operate remotely-controlled weaponry.
An army colonel, known as Hephaestus, recently left active duty to develop automated machine gun systems. He reported deploying six units on the frontlines, allowing operators to control them from a safe distance via screens.
“This is increasingly common,” Flyunt explained. “Modern war now revolves around technologies for detection, jamming, and destruction at a distance. Operators only decide when to strike.”
Advancing Remote Warfare
Arms Minister Herman Smetanin confirmed the rise of remote warfare and artificial intelligence. “In the near future, the war of robots will dominate,” he said. “Protecting lives is the priority.”
Revitalizing Defense Manufacturing
Ukraine invests $1.5 billion into modernizing its defense sector, which stagnated during the Soviet era. Defense production has grown from $1 billion in 2022 to $20 billion in 2024, but limited resources mean Ukraine can purchase only half of this output.
Manufacturers struggle under strict profit margin regulations and a lack of long-term procurement contracts. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to address these concerns.
Challenges Facing Industry Growth
Companies also face staffing shortages. Kateryna Mykhalko, director of Tech Force in UA, said 85% of surveyed firms are considering or have already moved operations abroad.
The wartime arms export ban remains a contentious issue. While companies seek export opportunities to fund expansion, officials worry about public backlash against arms sales during a conflict that relies heavily on international aid.
