In Ukraine, an Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born in War Against Russia

New York Times - WorldEN 36 min read 100% complete by C.J. ChiversDecember 31, 2025 at 06:00 PM

AI Summary

long article 36 min

In Ukraine, a new generation of AI-powered drones is being developed and deployed in the war against Russia. These semiautonomous drones, like the Bumblebee, can independently identify, chase, and strike targets after initial lock-on, overcoming Russian jamming technology that disrupts traditional drones. Ukrainian drone pilot Lipa used a Bumblebee drone near Borysivka to successfully strike a building suspected of housing a Russian drone team after previous attempts with standard drones failed. The development of these AI drones is driven by the need to overcome sophisticated Russian defenses. Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, is involved in a secretive venture providing these drones. Throughout 2025, these drones have become an increasingly important weapon for Ukraine.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Google 40% Eric Schmidt 50% Borysivka ×360% Bober ×360% Lipa ×670% Bumblebee ×580% Russia ×390% Ukraine ×490%

Keywords

a.i. drones 100% drone warfare 90% ukraine 80% russia 70% artificial intelligence 70% semiautonomous killing machines 60% radio-wave jamming 50% kamikaze drones 50% bumblebee drone 40%