Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced a private “Army of Robots” initiative intended to develop battlefield machines for tasks including casualty evacuation, mine clearance and combat. He plans to invest in defense-technology companies, start projects and test working systems with Ukraine's military at scale.
Speaking at IT Arena 2026 in Lviv, Fedorov said drones now account for more than 95% of target engagements and that Ukraine has over 700 drone manufacturers. He did not specify the period or operations behind the engagement figure. The country's wartime use of drones has also produced combat data that it has begun offering to partners, including the United Kingdom.
The proposal shifts a debate often framed around international restrictions into a privately funded development program. Fedorov argues that robots should fight instead of people, but the announcement does not clarify whether autonomous systems would make attack decisions without human approval.
The promotional material shows humanoid machines, although those platforms are far less mature for combat than drones and may not be practical. For now, the initiative is a plan to fund and test systems, not evidence that a deployable robotic force exists.