Ukraine: The Latest Special: Drones, AI, and the New Rules of War
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Aug 25, 2025 
Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO of The Fourth Law, and Oleksandr Kubrakov, advisor to Ukraine's defense minister, join Eric Hauff from Sierra Nevada Corporation and Sebastian Kuhl of Helsing for a lively discussion on drone warfare and AI innovations in military conflict. They explore how necessity is driving rapid advancements in military tech and logistics. The importance of integrating software with hardware in drones is highlighted, along with ethical considerations for autonomous warfare. Ukraine’s evolving strategies showcase the future of defense technology.
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From Pet Cameras To Combat Drones
- Yaroslav describes moving from pet cameras in San Francisco to building FPV drones for Ukraine after the invasion.
- He frames that pivot as switching from dispensing treats to defending the homeland.
Autonomy As The Decade's Game Changer
- Massively scalable autonomy is the defining military technology of this decade according to Yaroslav Azhnyuk.
- He argues software-led autonomy on cheap FPV drones will transform operational scale and impact.
Integration Turns Kits Into Capable Systems
- Rapid mission-system integration turned ad-hoc collections of kits into fielded systems like Frank and Sam within months.
- A common C2 backbone (SNC Trax) was key to translate disparate sensors into one picture.