Mykhailo Fedorov used the IT Arena conference in Lviv to launch a new defence technology initiative called the Army of Robots, and he wants a chief technology officer to run it. The former deputy prime minister and digital minister framed the project as a direct successor to Ukraine's Army of Drones, betting that machines should take over the most dangerous battlefield jobs before soldiers are exposed.
From drones to ground robots
Fedorov said the Army of Drones, which started in 2022, proved how quickly warfare shifts when unmanned systems become reliable. Drones now account for more than 95 per cent of strikes, and Ukraine has over 700 UAV manufacturers. The new push targets ground-level danger zones. Robots would evacuate wounded soldiers, carry ammunition, lay and clear mines, scout positions, defend terrain and strike targets. Sensors would identify threats before robotic systems move in.
The Army of Robots is not a single program. Fedorov described a broader cycle: invest in defence companies, launch new technology projects, build R&D capacity, test systems with the military, and scale what works. The initiative connects to a defence technology investment fund he announced in August, designed to back existing Ukrainian startups and create new companies around battlefield needs. Early focus areas for that fund include battlefield robotics, jet-powered interceptor drones and low-cost AI-powered missiles. Palantir CEO Alex Karp was later named its first lead investor.
The speed imperative
Fedorov's core argument is that Ukraine must move faster than Russia can copy and scale military technology. The way to do that, he said, is to pull engineers, battlefield experience, capital and technology into a single feedback loop. His pitch at the conference targeted defence tech companies, engineers working on robotic systems, and a CTO or tech lead to steer the project.
"Make robots fight instead of people," Fedorov said, summarizing the logic behind the initiative. The approach treats the battlefield as an R&D environment rather than a clean-room simulation, compressing the time between prototype and deployment.
Why this matters for government professionals
For procurement officials, defence planners and policy advisors, Ukraine's model shows what accelerated military acquisition looks like when the usual multi-year cycles are collapsed into months. The combination of a dedicated investment fund, direct military testing, and an open call for technical leadership creates a template that other governments will study. The lesson is not about any single robot or drone - it is about building an institutional structure that can absorb battlefield feedback and turn it into scaled production before an adversary adapts. If your agency is wrestling with defence modernization timelines, this is the case study to watch.
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