Fedorov says robots and drones should replace troops wherever possible

Fedorov made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times published on July 31.

“I am completely convinced that, whenever possible, combat operations should be carried out by robots and drones,” he said. “That is how we save the lives of our soldiers.”

Ukrainian drones now account for about 95% of Russian losses along the front line, making them significantly more effective than snipers, howitzers, tanks and other conventional weapons combined, the former defense minister said.

Much of the infantry currently deployed on the front line could be replaced with sensors, machine guns mounted on automated turrets and drones, Fedorov said.

Only militaries equipped with inexpensive, intelligent and mass-produced weapons will survive in the emerging era of warfare, he added.

The war is gradually moving toward a “robotized front line” and the remote operation of drones, which will allow troops to remain farther from danger, Fedorov said.

The next stage of military development will involve autonomous systems capable of attacking targets independently, eventually leading to “battles between autonomous drones controlled by artificial intelligence,” he added.

Ukraine-U.S. drone cooperation: What is known

The Ukrainian government approved its first transparent mechanism for the controlled export of Ukrainian weapons and defense technologies to partner countries on July 1.

Then-Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and then-Defense Minister Fedorov said the system would operate under martial law through the Drone Deal format.

Six agreements have already been signed under the initiative, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said on July 2. More than 20 other countries were working to join the model, he added.

Ukraine hopes to conclude major defense agreements with at least seven NATO countries by the end of 2026, The Guardian reported.

The planned agreements demonstrate that Ukraine can serve not only as a recipient of military equipment and expertise but also as a supplier, the outlet said.

Ukraine and the United States have signed documents allowing Washington to receive several types of Ukrainian drones for testing, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on July 9.

“The Drone Deal between Ukraine and the United States has certainly not yet been signed,” Zelenskyy said. “A number of documents have already been signed so that the United States can receive different types [of drones] from Ukraine for testing.”

“These include aerial drones, maritime drones and other high-tech products,” he added.

U.S. company ReconCraft, which specializes in vessels for special operations forces, will manufacture Magura unmanned surface vessels, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 22.

ReconCraft and Magura manufacturer Uforce recently signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington, the newspaper said.

Ukraine will produce between 6 million and 7 million small FPV attack drones in 2026, or about 500,000 per month, Travis Metz, deputy director and chief operating officer of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, said on July 28.

Metz has led the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program since fall 2025.

“For comparison, the Pentagon program, with $1.1 billion in funding, will order a total of slightly fewer than 200,000 drones by February [2027],” Reuters reported.