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It could give Kyiv an edge in negotiations, particularly with the U.S..
It could give Kyiv an edge in negotiations, particularly with the U.S..
Playing your hand
Ukraine is carefully weighing how—and when—to share its vast stores of battlefield data with allies.
Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called this trove one of Kyiv’s strongest “cards” in securing continued support from friendly nations.
Data as leverage in international alliances
Speaking to Reuters, Fedorov stressed that Ukraine’s data is “priceless for any country,” especially as it relates to modern warfare.
While traditional commercial datasets are widely available for civilian AI models, Ukraine’s war-specific data is unique. It gives Kyiv an edge in negotiations, particularly with Washington, by showcasing its strategic value.
Millions of hours of drone footage
The war’s increasing reliance on drones has allowed Ukraine to collect millions of hours of aerial combat footage. This growing archive includes meticulous battlefield stats and detailed logs of drone operations.
For AI training, such data is a goldmine—helping machines recognize patterns, improve targeting, and predict enemy movements.
Cautious sharing amid high demand
Despite strong international interest, Ukraine is treading carefully. “We are forming policy on how to organise this process correctly,” Fedorov said.
He hinted that sharing must benefit Ukraine, especially after reports that U.S. President Donald Trump once told President Zelenskiy, “you don’t have the cards.”
Kyiv now believes otherwise.
A living weapons lab
Ukraine has positioned itself as a testing ground for global defence firms, inviting them to trial new weapons systems in real combat.
According to Fedorov, nearly 1,000 applications have been received, with 50 different systems already making their way to the battlefield.
AI powers Ukraine’s drone warfare
Artificial intelligence is already helping Ukraine run sophisticated long-range drone missions deep into Russian territory.
AI models can analyze satellite and drone imagery far faster than human analysts—cutting search time for targets from dozens of hours to just minutes.
Work is also underway to enable fully autonomous drone swarms.
Palantir tech aids military and civilian planning
Ukraine is using Palantir software across military and civilian domains. It helps analyze Russian strike patterns, expose disinformation efforts, and even plan locations for bomb-proof schools or prioritize demining operations.
The U.S.-based data firm, founded by Peter Thiel, provides powerful tools for Kyiv’s war and reconstruction planning.
Drone strikes now dominate the battlefield
Fedorov revealed that 80–90% of Russian targets are now destroyed by drones—a steep rise from 2024, when those figures hovered around 70% for troops and 75% for vehicles.
Drones have become the defining weapon of the conflict, shifting how battles are fought and how outcomes are measured.
A gamified system to incentivize kills
In a unique move, Fedorov’s ministry created a video game-style points system for confirmed kills and destroyed equipment.
Units can trade these points for drones and jamming gear via a sleek online marketplace.
Since its launch, roughly 500,000 drones have been distributed through the system, which also ranks units on monthly leaderboards.
The ‘Kill Zone’ and rise of ground robots
The warzone has evolved into what troops now call a “kill zone”—a 10 to 15 km stretch from the front line where exposure almost guarantees a drone strike.
That danger zone may expand to 20 km within a year.
Ukraine has deployed thousands of unmanned ground vehicles to deliver supplies to troops under fire in dugouts.
