Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Col. Andrii Lebedenko, stated that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now more effective on the battlefield than artillery.
Drones, once peripheral to the war, are now a central component for both sides, alongside infantry and artillery, as Ukraine struggles to hold back Russian advances.
Speaking at the Precision hackathon, Lebedenko emphasized the rapid technological advancements witnessed during the ongoing war with Russia.
“Our priority is finding the most effective solutions to safeguard our soldiers’ lives,” he explained, underlining the military’s focus on innovation.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are actively pursuing improvements in drone technology, including enhanced machine vision, artificial intelligence integration, drone swarms, and advanced electronic warfare capabilities. These unmanned systems are proving crucial across various combat scenarios, operating in the air, on land, and at sea.
Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, revealed that Ukraine’s military has developed considerable expertise with tactical drones, boasting a fleet of over 165 aerial vehicles.
However, the focus is now expanding to systems capable of operating at greater distances, up to and beyond 100 kilometers.
Looking ahead, Ukrainian defense leaders are calling for closer collaboration with manufacturers to develop next-generation unmanned systems. This partnership aims to create more sophisticated interceptors, artillery fire correction systems, and counter-battery solutions.
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