The experience of the last three years, which we have almost had since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has highlighted the crucial importance of the to kyiv’s war effort. Even more so now, at a time when the country is trying to overcome the material advantages that Russia enjoys in key areas, such as manpower, equipment, firepower and financing.
“While this emphasis on innovation cannot completely balance the oddsdefense technological solutions are helping Ukraine to minimize the impact of the enemy’s much larger resources,” explains Nataliia Kushnerska, head of Ukraine’s Brave1 defense technology group.
The specialist who thinks and rethinks that model, those bets, and, above all, lists what they need by 2025 if they want to put an end to the Moscow aggressor.
“Over the next year, Ukraine must stay one step ahead of Russia in the race for innovation. Much will depend on the ecosystem of Ukrainian defense technology companies rapidly expanding that has emerged since the beginning of the large-scale invasion. The Russian military in Ukraine has already faced numerous examples of revolutionary tools developed by Ukrainian tech talents. It is vital that this trend continues“, indica.
An “especially important” category, he says, is the . The Russian invasion of Ukraine is widely recognized as the world’s first large-scale drone war. Since February 2022, drone technologies “have evolved to a remarkable pace“. As attack and reconnaissance drones have become increasingly ubiquitous on the battlefield, “the need for effective interceptor drones has become increasingly evident”.
In April 2024, Ukraine launched a competition to identify the most effective interceptor drone solutions, in which dozens of Ukrainian drone manufacturers participated. “One of these models has already been credited with around twenty confirmed hits on enemy spy drones and is now being used by Ukrainian drone units on the , Kharkiv and Zaporizhia fronts.”
Ukrainian drone manufacturers “have also managed develop effective domestic alternatives to Chinese drone modelswidely used,” he says in his account. “This is an advance significant“. While Chinese drones have proven to be “important workhorses in the drone war,” their prominence has left Ukraine “dangerously dependent on imports and vulnerable to potential disruptions to supply chains”. “Internally produced alternatives allow the Ukrainian army reduce this dependency of China,” he elaborates.
Ukraine’s efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies They advanced in 2024, with the development of drones capable of fixing targets identified by operators during the final phase of the flight before impact. “This helped neutralize Russian electronic warfare jamming technologieswhich typically seek to disrupt the connection between drones and operators,” he explains. “Ukrainian developers are now working on the next stage in the evolution of AI-powered drones. The goal is to produce a new generation of drones that use artificial intelligence not only in the final targeting stage, but throughout your flight“, dice.
2024 was also the year Ukraine led Putin’s invasion of Russia and “made the enemy see that their internal front was no longer safe from attack”. This was made possible by a “growing arsenal of d long range attack dronesdeveloped by Ukrainian manufacturers with ranges greater than those thousand kilometers“More innovations in long-range drones are expected in 2025, adds Kushnerska.
Last year’s defense technological advances “have had a significant impact on Ukraine’s war effort.” However, “it is important to emphasize that in modern warfare, Competition for innovation is a constant struggle that requires a high degree of creativity, coherence and coordination“. With new technologies appearing on the battlefield almost daily, “Any delay in the chain from development to deployment can be deadly”newspaper.
Missiles, AI and drone swarms
“No one can predict exactly what defense technological challenges may emerge in the coming months”; However, it is already possible to identify a series of strategic priorities for the Ukrainian army in 2025. And the author points them out.
The program of missiles of Ukraine gained momentum in 2024 and “is poised to play a much larger role in the war over the next year.” Missile production in the country allows Ukraine “strike targets inside Russia at a time when some of the country’s Western partners remain reluctant to authorize attacks for fear of escalation”. Many of the advances made in this direction have already been made public. In 2025, “Russia You may be surprised to learn exactly how far Ukraine’s missile production has advanced“he warns.
As the nature of war with becomes increasingly sophisticatedthe tactics employed by drone forces are also evolving. “Ukraine’s drone units are already beginning to move beyond the initial concept of “one drone, one operator” and will seek to transition towards more widespread use of drone swarm technologies by 2025“. From a military perspective, “it is critical that Ukraine outmaneuver the enemy in deploying this technology. next generation“, Athens.
“Anti-drone defenses will also be a priority in 2025”he states. Almost every day, Ukraine is attacked by large numbers of Russian drones that frequently damage civilian targets, including residential buildings and energy infrastructure. “Russian drone production is increasing rapidly, and regular updates to their design mean that it is difficult to counter these weapons” he writes. “This will probably continue to be a great challenge for Ukrainian air defense equipment and for the country’s defense technology industry over the next year,” concludes Nataliia Kushnerska.
