Key facts
- A Ukrainian drone manufacturer claims fully autonomous drones killed Russian soldiers in a test two years ago.
- The drones were reportedly programmed with 'Terminator mode' to seek and attack targets without human intervention.
- Ukraine's government reportedly bans the use of AI in the final stage of target interception.
- Military commanders state drone pilots use semi-autonomous systems with human control over critical decisions.
- Ukraine's defense industry is developing AI for autonomous navigation and target recognition on drones and robots.
A Ukrainian drone manufacturer has claimed that fully autonomous drones killed Russian soldiers during a battlefield test approximately two years ago. Alexander Kokhanovskyy, CEO of Aero Center, described the incident to New Scientist, stating that quadcopter drones equipped with AI-powered 'Terminator mode' were programmed to find and attack targets without human intervention.
Kokhanovskyy indicated that a subsequent check of the area revealed the presence of deceased Russian soldiers, leading to the conclusion that the autonomous drones had carried out the lethal engagement. However, he noted that his current company, Aero Center, was not involved in this specific test. There was reportedly no video evidence of the test or its outcomes.
Despite this alleged test, representatives from defense companies present at a Ukrainian embassy event stated that the Ukrainian government prohibits the use of AI in the final stages of target selection for lethal purposes. A Ukrainian military commander corroborated this, explaining that drone pilots exclusively use semi-autonomous systems, ensuring human operators retain ultimate control over critical decisions to comply with international humanitarian law and prevent civilian casualties.
The practical challenges and legal considerations surrounding fully autonomous weapons, such as the risk of friendly fire or civilian harm, make such one-time experiments understandable. The effectiveness of these autonomous quadcopters in target selection and attack compared to human-piloted drones also remains unclear.
Globally, there is no universally agreed-upon definition for lethal autonomous weapon systems, though common characterizations involve systems capable of operating without human direction. The U.S. Department of Defense defines them as weapons that can select and engage targets independently after activation.
While fully autonomous weapons are not yet a widespread reality on the Ukrainian battlefield, Kateryna Bondar, a former advisor to the Ukrainian government, noted in a CSIS report that many drones are integrating autonomous capabilities for navigation and targeting, with humans maintaining overall control. Both Ukraine and Russia are extensively using FPV drones for reconnaissance and strikes, typically controlled by pilots. Larger drones are employed for dropping explosives, and longer-range strike drones may incorporate more autonomous decision-making.
Russia has deployed Shahed drones, some equipped with Nvidia Jetson Orin microcomputers, enabling autonomous target recognition and retargeting. Ukraine counters these with air defense systems, including interceptor drones that can autonomously fly to intercept points but still require human initiation of strikes. Ukraine's defense industry has significantly boosted its drone strike capabilities, achieving an 70-80% success rate through AI-driven navigation, which helps overcome Russian electronic warfare and GPS jamming.