AI-powered robots are next in war tech, Ukraine’s former defense minister says

AI-powered robots are next in war tech, Ukraine’s former defense minister says - The Washington Post

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AI-powered robots are next in war tech, Ukraine’s former defense minister says

Mykhailo Fedorov, an architect of Ukraine’s drone program, says his country needs to deploy AI on the battlefield to defend against Russia — no matter the risks.

October 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDTToday at 5:00 a.m. EDT

9 min

*Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s former defense minister, looks at an exhibition in Kyiv last week of Russian military equipment destroyed in battle. (Heidi Levine/For The Washington Post)*

By Francesca Ebel

KYIV — AI-powered robots are likely to dominate the next phase in the rapid technological transformation of warfare, and Ukraine cannot afford to debate the societal risks before pursuing such autonomous weapons, the country’s former defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said in an interview.

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