Ukraine’s Former Defense Minister Launches Bold Manhattan Project for Killer Robots

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is calling for a “new Manhattan Project” to accelerate the development of battlefield robots. He unveiled the initiative Saturday before a standing room only audience at IT Arena, Ukraine’s largest annual technology conference.

Fedorov illustrated his vision with an AI generated video showing humanoid and crab like ground robots moving across a barren front line. The machines performed dangerous and complicated work beyond the capabilities of most robots currently fielded by Ukraine.

The proposed Army of Robots would bring together upright machines, ground robots and autonomous systems designed to handle missions now assigned to soldiers. Fedorov’s ultimate objective is blunt and ambitious.

“Our idea is to combine engineers, startups and capital into one ecosystem so we can launch humanoid-like robots on the battlefield,” Fedorov told Defense News after the presentation. “We want to eventually substitute our infantry with these robots.”

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Fedorov wants specialists in robotics, artificial intelligence, sensors and autonomous systems to concentrate their efforts on battlefield machines. The push would follow the model of an urgent wartime technology program rather than a conventional development process.

Fedorov, 35, wants the project to produce its first confirmed battlefield result from a humanoid style robot within six months. Within one year, he wants robots to conduct the most dangerous portions of an assault without infantry operating alongside them.

Meeting the six month target leaves no time for lengthy research and development, according to Fedorov. He intends to begin by investing in companies whose weapons have already been tested and demonstrated some degree of market viability.

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Speed is central to the plan because Fedorov wants Ukraine to capture the initiative before Russia reaches the next technological cycle. He said Russia’s larger army and industrial base allow it to copy battlefield innovations and rapidly scale new weapons.

“Russia always thinks about new strategies, how to hack our frontlines,” Fedorov said. “We need to be the first side to hack our frontlines.”

Robots are only one part of the initiative. “We will have three key directions: sensors and robots, cheaper anti-jet-Shahed missiles, and AI strike drones and missiles,” Fedorov said.

Image Credit: DoW

Under the plan, Army of Robots members would identify a battlefield problem, locate a technical solution and assemble a team. The initiative would then provide development resources, test the product with troops under real conditions and expand production of systems that work.

Fedorov employed a similar structure when he launched the Army of Drones in 2022 as Ukraine’s digital transformation minister. That effort opened the market to Ukrainian drone manufacturers, launched government procurement and operator training, and helped establish the first strike drone units.

“The Army of Drones … changed everything in our country and in the world and, I think, in the future of the world,” he said. “Now we are trying to build the same ecosystem for robots.”

Image Credit: Beachside Stock

Ukrainian troops already rely heavily on ground robots for logistics, evacuation missions and assaults. According to the Defense Ministry, those systems completed more than 25,000 logistics and evacuation missions in August, which was 3.3 times the number recorded in January.

Most of the futuristic designs shown in Fedorov’s presentation, including humanoid machines, are not currently used in combat in Ukraine. Ground robots that are deployed almost always remain under the control of a human operator, usually through Starlink.

The project is expected to involve several companies working across different portions of the product lifecycle. Some would manufacture components, others would assemble complete robots, and additional companies would develop the software needed to operate them.

“We have some funds for these first companies,” Fedorov said while declining to identify them. “It means that we have two or three companies that will be our partners in these directions.”

A press statement issued after the announcement said the Army of Robots would include a venture fund for investments in technology teams. It would also have its own defense technology companies and a research and development operation.

Image Credit: Beachside Stock

The announcement came weeks after Fedorov said he was starting a new defense company with Palantir CEO Alex Karp as its first investor. Fedorov told Defense News that the company would begin with a corporate fund and could later establish its own venture fund.

Fedorov identified the speed of innovation as the biggest obstacle to developing and deploying the new machines. Ukraine must field them quickly enough to protect its infantry while remaining ahead of Russia’s ability to copy and scale battlefield technology.

The announcement also came as Ukraine prepared for another winter of Russian strikes while facing a shortage of air defense interceptors. During the weekend of Fedorov’s presentation, Russian drones struck kindergartens, university buildings, a civilian hospital, a food market and several gas stations.

The combined aerial attack lasted days, killed at least three people and injured dozens. Against that grim timetable, Fedorov made his urgency clear: “We don’t have enough time. We need to achieve these results as soon as possible.”

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