New Strategy Center publishes a new study, this time on the use of artificial intelligence in the drone war in Ukraine. The study analyzes the integration of AI technologies into the military systems of both sides involved in the conflict, focusing on the transformation of military doctrine, battlefield dynamics, and the strategic implications of the use of autonomous drones.
The paper examines the contrasting strategies of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, highlighting how artificial intelligence is changing the rules of modern warfare. From Russian semi-autonomous systems used for reconnaissance and attack, to Ukraine’s decentralized and innovative approaches based on next-generation technologies, the study highlights the rapid adaptability and creative use of AI in conflict.
At the same time, the study analyzes operational challenges and technical limitations, such as reliability issues and incomplete autonomy of the systems used, proposing solutions for expanding the use of AI in autonomous military systems.
The strategic relevance of the study is given by the growing role of AI drones in gaining tactical and operational advantage, as well- as the potential they offer in modernizing military capabilities in contested regions.
The authors of the study are Mykhailo Samus, a non-resident expert at the New Strategy Center and director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, and Oleksandra Artemenko, analyst, New Geopolitics Research Network.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Drones’ War in Ukraine