Ukraine Is Training AI to Hunt Russian Targets—And Offering the Tech to Britain

Ukraine is rapidly expanding the use of artificial intelligence on the battlefield, using AI-assisted drones to identify and strike Russian targets with growing precision, according to BFBS Forces News on May 6.

Forces News reported that Ukrainian drones now use machine vision and machine-learning algorithms during the “terminal phase” of an attack — the final several hundred meters before impact.

The systems can independently track targets, place a digital lock on vehicles or personnel, and continue the strike even under heavy Russian electronic warfare.

The technology is proving especially valuable against jamming, one of Moscow’s main battlefield advantages. According to data cited by Forces News, AI-assisted targeting can make even inexperienced drone operators up to four times more effective.

Ukraine’s advantage in the AI race is increasingly tied to the enormous amount of combat footage generated during the war.

Drone warfare analyst David Hambling told Forces News that Ukraine collected the equivalent of roughly 228 years of drone video footage during 2024 alone. That data is now being used to train AI systems to recognize Russian vehicles, troop movements, artillery positions, and battlefield behavior patterns under real combat conditions.

The country’s drone sector has also expanded dramatically since the start of the full-scale invasion. Ukraine reportedly had only seven drone companies in 2022. Today, that number has grown to around 500 manufacturers developing UAVs, autonomous systems, and AI technologies.

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BFBS Forces News also reported that the UK is helping fund an AI center of excellence within Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. In return, Ukraine is offering to share its massive battlefield drone database with allies, including Britain to help develop next-generation AI combat systems.

Drones are now responsible for an estimated 35,000 Russian troops killed or severely wounded every month, highlighting how AI and autonomous systems are rapidly reshaping modern warfare.

Earlier, US Army troops began deploying Hornet one-way strike drones across multiple NATO exercises in Eastern Europe, signaling growing interest in AI-enabled loitering munitions shaped by lessons from the war in Ukraine.

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