Ukraine has made striking advances in drone technology and battlefield robotics over the past year, according to Business Insider journalists Robert Leslie and Jake Epstein, who returned to the country in May to assess changes on the front lines.
Epstein said the biggest surprise was how much progress Ukraine had achieved in robotics and unmanned systems compared to his previous visit in March 2025, adding that the technology had become far more sophisticated and was increasingly relying on artificial intelligence.
Leslie noted that Ukrainian military units had learned to improve their own systems with exceptional speed. He said new modifications of ground, air and sea drones now move from design to combat testing within a matter of weeks, whereas armies in peacetime conditions might require months or even years to reach the same stage.
The journalists also described ground robotic systems taking on the most dangerous frontline tasks in place of soldiers, including evacuating wounded personnel and moving them to safer locations for treatment. Large bomber drones, they observed, are increasingly being used to deliver food, medicine and water to troops at forward positions.
Epstein said the extreme density of drones on the battlefield had effectively prevented either side from seizing significant territory in recent years, with long-range strikes on logistics and energy infrastructure growing in importance.
Leslie noted that while AI is already widely used for target detection and drone navigation, the final decision to use weapons remains with humans in most cases. He raised the question of how soon AI would complete the kill cycle entirely.
