As the Ukraine-Russia war enters the most intense period of the year between May and September, when the skies clear and the ground firms up, the Ukrainian army is in better shape than at any time over the past two and a half years.
The main reason is the combined evolution of robotics and tactics by the army and defence companies through a quick feedback-improvement loop.
The current round of robotics evolution is aimed to address the pillars of Russian military strategy in 2025; infiltration tactics of dispersed and dismounted infantry, saturation of the battlefield with reconnaissance and strike drones, and interdiction of medical support and logistics to disrupt supply lines to Ukraine’s fighters at the front.
Along with countering the Russian strategy, Ukraine is aiming to shape the battlefield with a range of in-depth strikes.
This year, Ukraine aims to produce more than seven million drones of different types, up from four million in 2025. As the supply increases, Ukrainian forward units are prioritising detection and destruction of Russian infiltrators seeking to bypass their positions.
