How International Volunteers Are Building AI Mothership Drones to Help Ukraine Win the Drone War

In back rooms just kilometers from Ukraine’s frontlines, a group of engineers watches intently as a drone whirs to life. Among them are volunteers from the UK, the US, and beyond—outsiders turned battlefield innovators. Their mission? Designing drones that not only extend Ukraine’s strike range but also introduce a new frontier of warfare: artificial intelligence.

Over three years of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the landscape has shifted almost entirely to drones, but with that transformation comes a new set of dangers. Where trenches and artillery positions were once the deadliest places on the battlefield, drone operators have now joined the list of prime Russian targets. Engineers are striving to develop drones that can strike from farther distances and penetrate enemy lines to protect these operators and enhance Ukraine’s capabilities.

Among the most promising innovations are Mothership Vertical Take-Off and Landing Drones (VTOL) and AI-powered drones— both designed to outmaneuver traditional limitations and revolutionize warfare.

What makes Mothership drones special?

Inside a workshop used by Ukraine’s 3rd Special Forces Regiment, a team of young engineers—some hailing from Ireland and the US—is working on a fixed-wing VTOL drone capable of acting as a mothership. Unlike standard FPV (first-person view) drones, which require direct control and have a limited range, these motherships can carry multiple smaller quadcopters and release them mid-flight to strike targets far beyond conventional reach. VTOL drones take off and land vertically like a helicopter, making them more versatile in battlefield conditions, given that in trench warfare and makeshift frontlines, runways are not always an option.

“This drone could act as a mothership,” says Tarik from the United States, a drone engineer with the 3rd Special Forces Regiment. “Essentially, you put smaller quadcopters on it, fly it out, and then you can drop the quadcopters when you’re at a far distance.”

By integrating a signal repeater into the VTOL, operators can extend their reach significantly. Instead of being forced to position themselves dangerously close to the front, drone pilots can now launch from safer distances. They also act as force multipliers—one launch can deploy multiple smaller drones, meaning more strikes with fewer pilots at risk. They can also be used for coordinated swarm attacks.

“The mothership drone could be 10 to 15 kilometers from the ground station,” Tarik explains. “And the drones could fly another 10 to 15 kilometers from the plane. So we’re talking a 20 to 30-kilometer total range.”

For operators, who have increasingly become prime targets, this is critical. Russian forces are actively hunting drone teams using electronic warfare and precision strikes. The further back they can operate, the greater their survivability. The team believes they can have a fully functional mothership drone within a month, with additional enhancements—such as drone-dropping mechanisms and repeaters—ready in a few months.

But designing advanced drones is just one challenge. The other is scaling production. “Almost no one in Ukraine is engaged in the development of VTOLs as it takes a lot of time and requires a lot of resources,” says Vova, a Ukrainian engineer from the 3rd Regiment, noting that there are still very few teams in Ukraine that are working on VTOL drones.

AI drones: The next evolution

Beyond mothership drones, engineers in Ukraine are pushing the boundaries of AI-powered drones, a development that could render traditional drone jammers obsolete. Unlike conventional drones, which rely on human operators and remote signals, AI drones identify and strike targets autonomously—making them far harder to disrupt.

“It will be only a matter of time before we use all drones on AI or in semi-automated mode,” says Vova. “Part of the work is done by the operator, and the other part is done by artificial intelligence.”

The biggest advantage? AI drones bypass electronic jamming, one of the most significant challenges Ukrainian forces face.

“Right now, drone jammers are a big problem, preventing us from attacking the enemy,” Vova explains. “But artificial intelligence brings the drone to the target and attacks it, without relying on a signal that can be jammed.”

AI drones are still in early development, but Ukraine is leading the charge in drone innovation. With the war driving an unprecedented drone boom, Ukraine was set to produce over 4 million drones in 2024 alone—reshaping combat in the air, at sea, and on land. Some experts predict that ground drones may become even more crucial than FPV drones in the future, further automating warfare.

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A glimpse into the future

Drone warfare has already transformed Ukraine’s battlefields, but what’s coming next could be even more revolutionary. AI integration is accelerating at a pace that could soon change warfare beyond what we can currently imagine.

It will be only a matter of time before we use all drones on AI or in semi-automated mode.

Vova

Volunteer, 3rd Regiment of Special Forces

For now, these volunteers—many just in their twenties—continue to experiment and refine their creations, knowing that each breakthrough could mean the difference between survival and destruction on the battlefield. The work being done today in these small, hidden workshops is shaping the future of combat, not just in Ukraine but for militaries around the world.

As Ukraine fights for its freedom, the fusion of AI, mothership drones, and next-generation warfare tactics is ensuring that its forces remain one step ahead. What began as a desperate adaptation to war has now become an arms race—one that Ukraine, with the help of its international allies, is determined to win.

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