Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov believes that Ukraine needs its own “Manhattan Project” — but for robots, AI, and fully autonomous warfare systems. According to him, robotic and autonomous systems could play a role similar to nuclear deterrence.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov believes that Ukraine needs its own “Manhattan Project” — but for robots, AI, and fully autonomous warfare systems. According to him, robotic and autonomous systems could play a role similar to nuclear deterrence.
Fedorov told about this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.
"I have come to the conclusion that we need a new Manhattan Project for robotic and fully autonomous means of warfare. AI and cheap drones will become the new nuclear deterrent. The last war of humans is taking place in Ukraine - robots will fight next," the former minister said.
The Manhattan Project was an American program during World War II that created the first nuclear weapons.
Fedorov has previously called autonomous systems the future of warfare. According to him, the ability of drones to independently select targets could become a “game changer” on the battlefield. And in March, when Ukraine opened up access to real combat data for AI training to partners, he stated that one of the tasks was to increase the autonomy of drones and other combat systems.
In addition, dev.ua previously wrote that the Ministry of Defense planned to contract 25,000 ground robotic complexes in the first half of 2026 and set a goal of transferring up to 100% of front-line logistics to robotic solutions. And in June, Fedorov reported that since the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian military has already carried out more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions with the help of NRC.
