Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on September 26, 2026, the launch of a new defense technology initiative called the "Army of Robots." The initiative, unveiled at the IT Arena conference in Lviv and on social media, aims to replace human soldiers on the battlefield with advanced robotics.
Fedorov, who was controversially dismissed from his ministerial post by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2026, stated that the "Army of Robots" will function as an "ecosystem." It plans to invest in defense tech companies, initiate its own technology projects, develop research and development capabilities, and collaborate with the military to test and scale effective solutions.
This move into defense tech follows Fedorov's previous success with the "Army of Drones" project launched in 2022. After his dismissal, Fedorov had turned his attention to defense technology, including a publicized trip to the United States in late August 2026 to meet with supporters and tech leaders, where he announced the creation of a fund for defense innovation. Shortly thereafter, he revealed plans to launch his own defense-tech company, with Palantir CEO Alex Karp named as an early investor.
Fedorov indicated that the "Army of Robots" initiative operates from the private sector, continuing his vision of "technological warfare — Air. Land. Economy." The announcement was accompanied by an AI-generated video showcasing various hypothetical military robots. While the video depicted soldiers and combat scenarios, Fedorov's press team did not provide specific details about the organization behind the initiative at the time of publication. Fedorov also put out a call for skilled robotics engineers to join the team.
