Britain has teamed up with the US and other NATO member states to supply Ukraine with thousands of AI-enabled drones capable of swarming Russian targets simultaneously, according to insiders speaking at the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
And one security expert has said if the equipment is supplied in sufficient volume, it could make a “big difference” in holding back Vladimir Putin’s forces, who are reported to be on the brink of seizing the key eastern city of Avdiivka.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Western military planners building the technology believe it could enable Ukraine to enable some Russian positions with the unmanned vehicles. They could potentially be sent to Ukraine within months, they added in blow for President Vladimir Putin.
Commenting, Samuel Cranny-Evans, Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, said if true, it was likely the move was in response to Russia’s huge numerical advantage in terms of ammunition and personnel.
He said: “Partly, probably because the weight of Russian fire is so high and there are difficulties around getting 155 mm calibre shells for Ukrainian guns
“It’s quite bleak, but if these drones are provided in sufficient quantities, it could make a big difference.”
Asked how the system could work, Mr Cranny-Evans said: “So, there’s a number of possibilities:
“Firstly, that the drones use AI for navigation instead of GPS, which would make them more resistant to navigation.
“Secondly, that the drones use AI for targeting when they get to an area.
“And thirdly, that they combine both and use that to coordinate a swarm as it reaches a target. This would mean that the drones are more resistant to Russian jamming, and once they reach the target area decide between themselves how to attack and engage the target.
“It would be quite difficult to counter this approach if they are using AI for navigation and target engagement.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today told the MSC, an annual gathering of security and foreign policy officials, that an “artificial deficit” of arms for his country risks giving Russia breathing space, highlighting the need for artillery and long-range weapons after his military chief said he was withdrawing troops Avdiivka.
Ukraine is back on the defensive against Russia in the nearly two-year-old war, hindered by low ammunition supplies and a shortage of personnel.
Mr Zelensky, speaking hours after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said: “Ukrainians have proven that we can force Russia to retreat. We can get our land back, and Vladimir Putin can lose, and this has already happened more than once on the battlefield.”
“Our actions are limited only by our strength,” he added, pointing to the situation in Avdiivka.
Ukrainian commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said earlier that he was withdrawing troops from the city, where outnumbered Ukrainian defenders battled a Russian assault for four months, to avoid encirclement and save soldiers’ lives.
Mr Zelensky said: “Dear friends, unfortunately keeping Ukraine in the artificial deficit of weapons, particularly in deficit of artillery and long-range capabilities, allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war. “The self-weakening of democracy over time undermines our joint results.”
Speaking alongside European and other officials later Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that “all of us need much, much more artillery ammunition” and stressed that production must be ramped up. He said that “drones became a real part of the game; they will solve some problems, but they will not replace artillery ammunition.”
Mr Zelensky on Friday went to Berlin and Paris, where he signed long-term bilateral security agreements with Germany and France, following a similar agreement with Britain last month.
Ukraine’s European allies are appealing to the US Congress to approve a package which includes aid for Ukraine – £47.5 billion($60 billion) that would go largely to US defence entities to manufacture missiles, munitions and other military hardware for the battlefields in Ukraine. The package faces resistance from House Republicans.
Asked whether it would be a good idea to invite former US president and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump to Kyiv, Mr Zelensky replied: “I invited him publicly, but it depends on his wishes.”
“If he will come, I’m ready even to go with him to the front line,” he added.
The MoD was approached for comment.
