Technological innovation helps Ukraine even the odds against Russia’s military power

For more than a year, Ukraine has been fighting for its life against a military superpower that has vast advantages in money, weapons and manpower. One of the few areas where Ukraine has been able to consistently stay ahead of Russia is in the use of new military technologies.

Today’s Ukraine is often referred to as a testing ground for new military technologies, but it is important to emphasize that Ukrainians are active participants in this process, in many cases at the forefront of innovation. Concepts of the scale of the Russian invasion and the scale of the battle can often go from drawing to battlefield in months, sometimes even days. Fortunately, Ukraine has the technological talent and flexibility to take advantage of these conditions.

As the war enters its second year, it is clear that military technology offers the best solution to the dangers posed by the Russian invasion. After all, success in modern warfare depends primarily on information and technology, not on the number of tanks in the 1960s or the willingness to use infantry as artillery fodder.

Russia’s preparations for the current all-out invasion of Ukraine have been underway for the past two decades and are based on traditional military thinking focused on weapons, artillery and air power. In contrast, the rapidly modernizing Ukrainian military has achieved a technological leap in less than twelve months. Since the start of the invasion, Ukraine has demonstrated its readiness to create something new that the more conservative Russian military cannot easily match.

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Modern weapons supplied by Ukraine’s international partners played a vital role in the Ukrainian military’s battlefield victories in the first year of the war. Similarly, Western countries have supported Ukraine with various technological solutions and assistance. At the same time, Ukrainians have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to develop and adapt new technologies suitable for the specific conditions of Russia’s continued invasion. Ukraine has used tools ranging from drones and satellite imagery to artificial intelligence and situational awareness to wreak havoc on the lives of Ukrainian service personnel and civilians.

Drones deserve special attention as a game-changer in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Thanks to the widespread and intelligent use of aerial surveillance drones, the Ukrainian army has been able to monitor frontline areas and coordinate artillery. Meanwhile, drones made it possible to directly hit enemy positions.

The important role of drones on the battlefield helped to expand domestic production during wartime. In the last six months, the number of Ukrainian companies producing UAVs has increased more than five times. This expansion will continue. Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine is quickly turning into the world’s first war of robots. To win, Ukraine will need a large number of drones in every conceivable category.

This helps explain the thinking behind the decision to launch the drone army initiative. This joint project within the framework of the UNITED24 fundraising platform involves the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Communications Service and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Within six months, the Army Drone Initiative had purchased over 1,700 drones worth an estimated $10 million. This is made possible by donations from individuals and businesses in 76 countries.

Ukraine is currently developing its own new type of drones to counter Russian invasion challenges. For example, Ukraine is developing new types of naval drones to defend the country against missile attacks from Russian warships. Ukrainian technology innovators are making significant progress in the development of naval aircraft capable of targeting and protecting or disabling warships, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and costing millions.

Ukrainian IT specialists are creating software products to enhance the wartime performance of the country’s armed forces. A good example is Delta, a comprehensive situational awareness system developed by the Innovation Center at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This tool can be better described as “Google Maps for the military”. It integrates information from a variety of sources, including aerial data, satellite imagery and drone imagery, to provide real-time views of the battlefield in line with NATO requirements.

Such systems allow the Ukrainian military to be increasingly informed. This allows Ukrainian commanders to quickly adapt to the situation and change tactics as needed. The system saves lives and ammunition by highlighting opportunities to exploit Ukraine. This approach has already proven its effectiveness during the successful counterattack to defend Kiev and liberate Kharkiv Oblast and Kherson.

Ukraine has launched a special chatbot that allows members of the public to report on the movement of enemy troops and military hardware. Integrated into the widely used Dia app, this tool has attracted more than 460,000 Ukrainian users. Their reports helped destroy dozens of Russian military positions with tanks and artillery.

In addition to developing its own military technologies, Ukraine has shown itself to be very adept at taking existing technological solutions and adapting them to wartime conditions. One prime example is Starlink, which has revolutionized warfare and is part of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Satellite communications are one of Ukraine’s competitive advantages, providing communications across the frontline and liberated regions of the country, even during blackouts. Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received more than 30,000 Starlink terminals.

Ukraine’s effective use of military technologies has led some observers to say that the country could become a “second Israel.” This is a flattering comparison, but in reality, Ukraine has more potential. In the next few years, Ukraine is on track to become a country with advanced military technology solutions.

Important decisions that will determine Ukraine in this direction have already been made. In the year By 2023, efforts will focus on the development of the military technology ecosystem, an active startup sector with a strong research and development component. There are clear signs of progress, such as the recent creation of strike drone battalions in the Ukrainian armed forces.

In the year Putin expected an easy victory. Instead, the crumbling invasion highlighted Ukraine’s incredible bravery and demonstrated the country’s technological sophistication. The Ukrainians combined raw courage and modern innovation to defeat one of the world’s most powerful armies. This remarkable achievement provides lessons for military strategy and security policy that will be studied for decades to come.

Mykhailo Fedorov is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

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The opinions expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Atlantic Council, its staff, or its sponsors.

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Image: Ukraine’s military’s drones initiative is part of the country’s impressive military technological development. (Photo: Daniyar Sarsenov, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine)