#56 Kate Bondar: The Futuristic Military Tech That's Changing The War in Ukraine
Mar 24, 2025
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Kateryna Bondar, a Ukrainian expert on military technology and former advisor to the Ministry of Defense, discusses the rapid evolution of warfare in Ukraine. She reveals how unmanned vehicles and AI-enabled drones are changing the battlefield dynamics. Grassroots innovations have led to advanced drone capabilities, with civilian engineers playing a crucial role. The conversation explores the ethical implications of replacing human soldiers with robots and the importance of digital security in countering misinformation during this technological transformation of war.
Ukraine's military technology advancements, rooted in volunteer initiatives since 2014, have rapidly integrated cutting-edge software and drones into combat operations.
The ambition to replace human soldiers with unmanned systems marks a transformative shift in modern warfare, illustrating a significant evolution in combat tactics.
Deep dives
Evolution of Ukraine's Military Technology
The development of Ukraine's military technology did not start with the 2022 invasion but can be traced back to earlier conflicts, notably the war in Donbass beginning in 2014. Before this full-scale war, the Ukrainian army was underfunded and ill-equipped, which led to a grassroots movement of volunteers and engineers supporting the military with software and technology solutions. Civilian engineers created hardware and software to enhance situational awareness and battlefield effectiveness, leveraging their skills and educational backgrounds in STEM fields. This transition set the stage for the rapid deployment of advanced technologies, such as drones, which were initially used for agricultural purposes and then quickly adapted for military applications as the conflict escalated.
Innovative Military Technologies in Use
The podcast outlines several cutting-edge technologies currently being utilized and developed within the Ukrainian military, emphasizing software solutions for situational awareness and fire control. Various software platforms, such as Delta System, have emerged from volunteer efforts and are now integrated into the defense infrastructure, helping to transform data from multiple sources into actionable intelligence for military commanders. Moreover, the push towards AI-enabled drones is pivotal, as they demonstrate significantly higher success rates in targeting compared to manually controlled systems, showcasing the potential for autonomous operations on the battlefield. This integration of innovative tech emphasizes Ukraine's advancements, even as they face electronic warfare challenges aimed at countering these unmanned systems.
Future of Human Combatants in Warfare
A notable highlight of the discussion is the Ukrainian military's ambition to replace human soldiers with unmanned systems in direct combat scenarios, pointing toward a transformative shift in modern warfare. As military operations increasingly leverage drones and automated systems, a captured Russian soldier's account illustrates how engagements may soon occur with minimal human presence on one side. While fully autonomous military solutions are not yet ubiquitous, the ongoing developments indicate that the military is already progressing toward this futuristic landscape. The strategic objective to limit human exposure to combat danger reflects a significant pivot in operational tactics, potentially reshaping the future of military engagements globally.
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This is a conversation with Kateryna Bondar, a Ukrainian expert on emerging military technology, a former advisor of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and a Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
When people talk about the role of technology in the war in Ukraine, it usually doesn't feel like that much new development is happening - after all, we have been seeing drones in the war for over 3 years. But the reality is actually the opposite - the war in Ukraine is quickly becoming a lot more futuristic than I personally realized and technology that’s already being deployed and tested on the battlefield every day, is something that most people would have probably thought is many years away.
Whether that’s major attacks carried out only by unmanned vehicles, fully autonomous drones or the Ukrainian ambition of fully replacing human soldiers with robots - those are things that sound unreal but already happening. War is literally changing in front of our eyes and the change is getting faster. This conversation, will hopefully make it seem a bit more real and show what the already futuristic present and very near future looks like.
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