Ukraine is not losing its war with Russia, but momentum depends on a new technological leap, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), Ukraine’s Presidential Office chief said on Thursday, April 23.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office and former chief of the military intelligence (HUR), said the clearest sign of Ukraine’s success is recognition from the adversary itself.
“The main confirmation of our success is recognition from the enemy,” he said at the Kyiv Security Forum, according to local outlet Suspilne.
Budanov said Ukraine is “definitely not losing” in the ongoing war but warned that sustaining the pace of development is critical as the war becomes a technological competition.
He described a rapid escalation in drone warfare since 2020, when Russia used advanced systems, including Iranian-made drones, only sporadically. Now, he said, both sides are expanding drone use at scale, with Ukraine setting records for the number of targets intercepted.
According to Budanov, the battlefield has entered a phase where existing technologies are reaching their limits, making innovation essential.
“Without introducing new production technologies, the effectiveness of drones may decrease,” he said.
“This is a constant race: They increase their capabilities, we increase electronic warfare systems.”
Budanov’s comments echo those of former Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny in 2024, who said at the time that both sides had “reached a level of technology that puts us into a stalemate,” where technological breakthroughs are needed to break it.
Budanov said the next decisive step will require integrating AI and advanced control systems into military operations.
“Current technologies have already reached their baseline level,” Budanov said, adding that only scaling new solutions will significantly change the situation on the battlefield.
He predicted that within the next few years, new projects could emerge with a major impact on the course of the war.
Drone race between Ukraine, Russia
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, drones have become a central element of warfare, used for reconnaissance, strikes and defense. Both Ukraine and Russia have invested heavily in expanding drone production and countermeasures.
As videos of ground robots moving across Ukraine’s front line spread widely online, a narrative has taken hold: Ukraine is replacing soldiers with machines. The reality, however, is more nuanced and far less futuristic.
Ukraine is rapidly expanding the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), but primarily as a way to reduce casualties and support troops, not replace them. The shift reflects both necessity and adaptation after multiple years of high-intensity war with Russia.
Ukrainian troops told Kyiv Post that while the use of robots is expanding on the Ukrainian front, it is primarily aimed at reducing risk rather than replacing troops.
These systems are increasingly used for logistics, evacuation and, in some cases, combat support – tasks that would otherwise expose soldiers to extreme risk.
Find out more about Ukraine’s frontline use of robotics in this Kyiv Post exclusive.