AI “Hivemind” to Power Ukraine’s New Missile and Anti-Drone Systems From 2026

European defense company Destinus will integrate US firm Shield AI’s Hivemind combat artificial intelligence into its Ruta long-range cruise missiles and Hornet anti-drone rocket systems supplied to Ukraine, according to Defense Express on November 20. 

“By combining Shield AI’s combat-proven autonomy with Destinus’ industrial production in Europe, this partnership accelerates the delivery of AI-enabled unmanned systems to Ukraine and strengthens Europe’s overall defense capability,” the companies said in an official statement.

Testing of the combined long-range weapons and combat AI package is planned for 2026. 

Destinus, which delivers cruise missiles and missile-drones to Ukraine, and Shield AI, known for the V-Bat drone and its focus on combat AI, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement that provides for embedding Hivemind in the Ruta strike system and the Hornet air defense drones.

Defense Express says the Ruta miniature cruise missile, or “missile-drone,” completed successful trials in Ukraine by December 2024, and Destinus describes that year as a period of deliveries to the country.

The article notes that Ruta has a flight range of about 300 kilometers, while the weight of its warhead has not been disclosed and is unlikely to be measured in hundreds of kilograms.

The Hornet is primarily presented as an anti-drone air defense asset and is currently undergoing demonstration testing in Spain, although its detailed performance characteristics have not been made public

Defense Express reports that integrating Hivemind is expected to allow launched Ruta missiles to exchange information in flight, adapt to changing conditions, and coordinate their actions, forming what the publication describes as a tightly integrated and highly effective reconnaissance-strike complex.

On air defense platforms such as Hornet, the AI algorithms are intended to improve target distribution, filter out false targets and reduce overall system reaction time.

The article adds that Hivemind is already integrated into the V-Bat reconnaissance drone used by Ukraine in missions that were initially fully classified, and also forms the core of Shield AI’s new X-Bat jet-powered fighter drone with vertical takeoff and landing.

Earlier, it was reported that the US‑based Shield AI opened a Kyiv office to support Ukraine’s unmanned systems and deployed V‑BAT drones in operational conditions.

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