Ukraine is developing AI-enabled drones that could lock on to Russian targets from further away and be more resilient to electronic countermeasures in efforts to ramp up its military capabilities as war rages on.
Deputy Defence Minister Kateryna Chernohorenko said Kyiv is developing a new system that could autonomously discern, hunt and strike its targets from afar.
This would make the drones harder to shoot down or jam, she said, and would reduce the threat of retaliatory strikes to drone pilots.
‘Our drones should be more effective and should be guided towards the target without any operators.
‘It should be based on visual navigation. We also call it ”last-mile targeting”, homing in according to the image,’ she told The Telegraph.
It comes less than two months after Britain’s Defence Secretary announced the creation of a drone coalition that will see the UK, Latvia and other Western-aligned governments pour £200 million into providing military-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine.
The package – which constitutes around a fifth of Ukraine’s total investment in the development of drones for frontline use – will see the UK order thousands of FPV drones for Ukraine, many of which will be produced by British manufacturers.
A devastating fire is seen following a Ukrainian kamikaze drone strike on an oil depot in Klintsy, in Russia’s Bryansk region
A pilot practices with a drone on a training ground in Kyiv region on February 29, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A long-range UAV is seen moments before it slams into a Russian factory in Tatarstan
A Russian plant is targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on Tatarstan, more than 600 miles from the Russo-Ukrainian border
A Ukrainian military pilot of a FPV drone during a combat flight with an accumulative charge at the frontline near Bakhmut
Unmanned weapons systems have already proved extremely effective in striking key Russian targets.
Marine drones have sunk several warships in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and in recent weeks Kyiv has successfully deployed long-range drones to attack infrastructure hundreds of miles behind Russia’s border.
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But AI-enabled drones could prove even more lethal – and particularly effective for short–to-medium-range attacks on Russian armour, artillery and troop encampments on Ukrainian soil or just behind the border.
AI-powered drones can capture and process real-time intelligence gleaned from cameras and sensors.
They can interpret visual information, detecting and recognising objects, patterns and anomalies, and as a result are able to navigate autonomously towards a given target.
Chernohorenko said these autonomous weapons systems (AWS) would be launched and guided towards the frontline by its human operator, but would then identify their target from over a mile away.
From there, the drone would switch to autopilot, increasing accuracy and minimising the risk to its human operator.
In theory, AI-enabled drones could also work in sync, operating like a hivemind to lock on and swarm adversaries.
But there are concerns over the fallibility AI targeting systems making life-or-death decisions without human oversight.
This led the House of Lords AI in Weapon Systems Committee to warn the British government it must proceed with caution in the development of AI-enabled drones and urged it to develop an operational definition of ‘advanced weapons systems’.
A Ukrainian military pilot of a FPV drone while he attaches an explosive to an fpv drone at the frontline near Bakhmut on October 24, 2023 in Bakhmut
A Ukrainian FPV (first-person view) drone operator trains not far from the front line in Donetsk region on November 16, 2023
Consumer drones have been adapted to drop grenades and small bombs on enemy infantry and armoured vehicles, to devastating effect
Ukrainian drone operator demonstrates piloting of a long-range UAV
Footage of the explosive effect of a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian tank on the front line
‘The Government must approach the development and use of AI in AWS in a way that is ethical and legal, while providing key strategic and battlefield benefits. ”Ambitious, safe and responsible” must be translated into practical implementation,’ the report said.
‘The Committee heard that the Ministry of Defence’s procurement suffers from a lack of accountability and is overly bureaucratic. It further heard that the Ministry of Defence lacks capability in relation to software and data, both of which are central to the development of AI. This may require revolutionary change,’ it concluded.
Defence sources cited by The Telegraph said the British government would not be involved in developing autonomous advanced drones for Ukraine.
Last week, Ukrainian officials declared at least six warplanes were destroyed, with eight more damaged following a drone attack on several Russian airfields.
Launching one of its largest overnight attacks in weeks, Ukraine fired more than 50 drones at Russian territory, according to Russia’s Defence Ministry.
Among the targets was the Engels-2 base in in the southern Rostov region, home to Putin’s prized Tu-95 and Tu-22 nuclear bombers.
More than 60 explosions were heard in the Rostov region as Russian air defences fended off an attack on Morozovsk military airfield, scene of the heaviest assault.
There were more than ten explosions at a military airbase in Yeisk, Krasnodar region, reported local Telegram channels.
Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Russia last week, targeting airfields and destroying at least six warplanes, Kyiv said. Pictured: A man is seen standing next to a burning building in the aftermath of the overnight attacks
An explosion is seen in the distance during the Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia
A security source in Kyiv told France’s AFP news agency that an attack on the Morozovsk air base in Russia’s southern Rostov region had destroyed at least six Russian planes and ‘another eight were heavily damaged’.
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‘This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of the Russians,’ the source said, adding that the attack was carried out by the SBU security service and the military.
Some 20 Russian personnel were killed or wounded, it was alleged.
Frontline bombers – Su-24, Su-24M, and Su-34 – are known to be routinely based at the airfield.
They have been used to strike at Ukraine during the war.
As of April 4, some 26 Su-34 fighters and three Su-35 warplanes were stationed at the airbase, according to OSINT reports.
It has been reported that the SBU secret service was behind the kamikaze drone strike along with the Ukrainian armed forces.
‘The results of the joint special operation are amazing – at least six Russian military aircraft were destroyed, and another eight received significant damage,’ a source told RBC Ukraine.
If confirmed it would be one of the biggest blows of the war to Vladimir Putin’s air force.
There was no immediate response from Russia and AFP news agency said it had been unable to verify the claims.
Russia said 44 of the 53 drones targeted the southern Rostov region, which sits just across the border from Ukraine and is home to a number of major military sites, including its command headquarters for the offensive.
‘During the night and on the morning of April 5, the Kyiv regime tried to commit several terrorist attacks with aerial drones which were foiled,’ the defence ministry said.