Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, the dramatic expansion of Ukraine’s defense tech sector has been one of the most significant developments of the entire war. What began as a largely grassroots response to Russia’s attack has evolved into a booming and sophisticated industry that is now attracting increasing international attention. Ukrainian defense tech companies are currently engaged in the production of everything from drones to electronic warfare systems and communication tools. New products and modifications are fast-tracked to the Ukrainian military and tested in battlefield conditions, creating remarkably rapid development cycles.
The pace of growth within the Ukrainian defense tech sector over the past two and a half years has been remarkable. For example, since it was launched by the Ukrainian authorities in spring 2023 with the goal of streamlining cooperation within the sector, the Brave1 platform has featured more than 2,500 unique innovations by over 1,200 domestic weapons systems developers and manufacturers. Ukraine’s expanding defense tech ecosystem is now playing an increasingly important role in the war and helping to counter Russia’s overwhelming advantages in manpower and conventional military firepower.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is widely seen as the world’s first full-scale drone war. Ukraine’s domestic UAV production capacity has expanded exponentially since the invasion began. Current focuses include increasing the flight range of drones, enhancing payload capacity, integrating artificial intelligence technologies into UAV control and targeting, and improving communication systems to combat electronic warfare measures.
The functionality of Ukraine’s drone fleet is continuously evolving as developers seek to make models more effective and harder to combat. The process of experimentation and innovation is relentless. Ukraine currently finds itself locked in a technological race with Russia as both sides seek to gain a battlefield advantage while neutralizing the enemy’s latest innovations. This contest is nowhere more intense than in the development of drones. At present, there are around five hundred Ukrainian companies producing UAVs.
First Person View (FVP) drones currently rank among the most critical elements of the entire Ukrainian war effort. Thanks to these drones, Ukraine has been able to at least partially address the country’s consistent shortages in artillery ammunition. FVP attacks are a familiar sight on Ukrainian social media. Every single day, dozens of videos appear showing the destruction of Russian equipment and troops using these strike drones. The importance of FPV drones can be seen in the dynamics of their procurement by the Ukrainian authorities. In 2022, the state purchased just five hundred FPV drones. The following year, this figure mushroomed to approximately one hundred thousand.
Numerous companies in the Ukrainian defense tech sector are also currently focusing their energies on the development of copters that can carry loads of around ten kilograms over a distance of ten kilometers or more. The key advantages of such platforms are precision and punch. Copters can carry a much larger payload that FPV drones. Meanwhile, in order to achieve the same kind of accuracy, most traditional artillery requires sighting and adjustments. The Ukrainian army has enthusiastically embraced the use of copters, with procurement increasing 80-fold over the past two years.
Drone vs Drone
In addition to a wide variety of strike drones, Ukraine is also developing anti-drone drones designed to counter the threat posed by Russia’s own expanding fleet. This is in many ways the next stage of the evolutionary process as drone technologies become more and more central to military operations. Ukrainian defense tech companies are already producing anti-drone drones capable of intercepting many of Russia’s most widely used reconnaissance drones. This is critically important as Russian reconnaissance drones operate extensively, both along the front lines of the war and deep in the rear.
Long-Range Capabilities
Perhaps the single most high-profile success story of the war in the Ukrainian defense tech sector has been the development of long-range strike drones. These weapons enable Ukraine to hit targets hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines. This is helping Ukrainian commanders compensate for the limited missile arsenal at their disposal, while also going some way to addressing the issues created by restrictions imposed by Ukraine’s partners on the use of Western weapons inside Russia.
Over the past year spectacular Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, fuel storage facilities, and military sites across the Russian Federation have become an almost daily occurrence, bringing the invasion home to Russia and depriving the Russian war economy of vital resources. This trend looks set to continue as Ukraine’s long-range drone capabilities improve and production expands. In summer 2024, the country unveiled its first missile drone weapon system, dubbed the Palyanytsia. There are likely to be further innovations in the remainder of 2024 and beyond.
Evolving Electronic Warfare
The ubiquity of drones in the current war is creating a range of new challenges that are not addressed by traditional air defense technologies. With so many drones of different categories in the air at any one time, it is simply not realistic to target them with limited supplies of expensive air defense missiles. Instead, electronic warfare (EW) has become the key method for countering the drone threat.
Ukraine’s domestic electronic warfare industry has grown in parallel with the country’s drone manufacturing sector. Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion, there were only a handful of Ukrainian companies specializing in the creation and development of electronic warfare systems. By summer 2024, this figure had risen to more than one hundred.
Wartime experience has demonstrated that having the right EW kit is not enough. Instead, it is essential to make sure electronic warfare tools are in the hands of skilled operators. One of the roles we try to play at Brave1 is matchmaking Ukrainian EW developers with the appropriate military personnel. Bringing the right people together enables them to collaborate effectively and makes it possible to create the best models for the management of EW systems.
War Robots
Ukrainian defense tech companies are developing an extensive array of robots capable of performing tasks including targeting the enemy, conducting reconnaissance, evacuating the wounded from the battlefield, and demining. This segment of Ukraine’s defense industry is evolving in line with the basic principle that wherever human involvement can be minimized, robots should operate.
As more and more new robot models become available and enter service, we hope to save the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainian commanders have been encouraged by the battlefield potential of robotic systems, and can already point to a number of successful deployments in combat conditions. For example, a domestically produced kamikaze robot was used to blow up a strategically important bridge in eastern Ukraine in spring 2024, resulting in significant disruption to Russian logistics close to the front lines.
Artificial Intelligence Advances
One of the key objectives of EW systems is the disruption on communication between operators and drones. However, artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly coming to the rescue. Ukrainian defense tech innovators are already developing next generation drones with AI capabilities that do not rely on radio communication with the operator, making it possible to bypass the enemy’s EW defenses and strike Russian targets effectively.
Advances in AI also offer potentially interesting opportunities for data analysis. At present, Brave1 is prioritizing the development of AI analysis tools that can work with photo and video footage collected by drones above the battlefield. Integrating and assessing large volumes of visual data should enable the Ukrainian military to make more informed decisions and develop detailed plans based on a clearer understanding of the enemy’s deployment and potential obstacles such as minefields.
Investing in Innovation
The Russo-Ukrainian War creates constant technological challenges that requite immediate responses. At Brave1, we receive fresh information from the Ukrainian military on a daily basis and promptly relay details of new innovations to developers. The Ukrainian defense tech sector necessarily operates around the clock and is constantly monitoring developments on the other side of the front lines in order to avoid being caught out.
While it is impossible to anticipate the needs of tomorrow, Ukraine is focused on ensuring that the pathway from concept to front line deployment is as short and speedy as possible. Efforts are also underway to attract international investors and secure the kind of financial backing that can help promising Ukrainian defense tech startups reach their full potential. In early October, Kyiv will host the largest international summit of the war dedicated to the Ukrainian defense tech industry. The Defense Tech Valley event is expected to bring together hundreds of Ukrainian and international investors who are interested in backing Ukraine’s domestic defense tech talent.
Throughout history, major wars have traditionally been periods of accelerated technological advancement. This most certainly applies to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is transforming the global security landscape in ways that will shape military thinking for decades to come. No country or defense industry company can afford to ignore these generational changes. That’s why I remain extremely confident that Ukraine’s vibrant defense tech sector will have no shortage of potential partners. By cooperating and combining our knowledge, we can create a safer world.