Ukraine Claims Robot-Only Seizure of Enemy Territory in Historic Operation

A Ukrainian-British military startup predicts that battlefields in Ukraine will soon have more robots than human soldiers.

The BBC toured UFORCE's discreet, unbranded offices in London, which the company keeps low-profile to guard against possible Russian sabotage. The visit followed Ukraine's account of an unprecedented operation where robots and drones alone captured enemy territory. President Zelensky highlighted the feat in a video last month, showcasing the country's new robotic weapons.

Both Ukraine and Russia have relied heavily on unmanned aerial and ground systems since the war began. Analysts note that the conflict has sped up military technology advances and sparked debates on warfare's future for human and robotic soldiers alike.

Zelensky has promoted the operation as a war first, but Ukraine's military offered no details. A UFORCE representative declined to discuss the robotic battle in Zelensky's video. The company's air, land and sea drones see active combat use, however.

"I can't go into specifics about the operation or how UFORCE was involved, but we've conducted more than 150,000 successful combat missions since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022," said Rhiannon Padley, the firm's UK director of strategic partnerships.

Robotic weapons represent a booming market. UFORCE has grown fast and recently hit unicorn status with a valuation over $1 billion (£730 million).

Padley said robot-against-robot combat will grow common, with unmanned systems outnumbering troops. Russia deploys robots to carry explosives into Ukrainian lines. Analysts expect such technology to change future wars.

"I really consider Ukraine to be a major teacher in the future of national defence and armaments," said Melanie Sisson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "It's an impressive case study in how necessity drives invention."

UFORCE belongs to rising Neo-Prime defense firms taking on giants like BAE Systems, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. US-based Anduril tested a pilotless fighter jet in February.

Most drones still need human operators, but firms like Anduril add artificial intelligence to weapons. UFORCE's ground drones feature targeting software. Anduril claims some systems handle attack final stages on their own.

The US government pushes its military to embrace AI. In January, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called for an "AI-first warfighting force".

China ramps up AI military systems, per a US Defense Department report last year. Analysts see robot-on-robot battlefield clashes as unavoidable.

"Ukrainian and Russian drones already fight each other," said Jacob Parakilas of RAND Europe, a think tank. "Seeing that extend to land and maritime warfare seems extremely likely, if not inevitable."