NATO is planning to expand cooperation with Ukraine on defense technology and share more intelligence about Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities, as some of its members lift constraints on Kyiv’s ability to wage war.
As noted by Bloomberg, the conflict has pushed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to devote more resources to cybersecurity deterrence and tracking Russia’s military tech, Assistant Secretary General David van Weel told journalists this week.
“Ukrainians are innovating at a very high speed,” he said Tuesday in Krakow, Poland. “But of course, the Russians are not stupid. That means innovation in the battlefield is not a static thing. It’s more like chess.”
Recent Russian advances have led Ukraine’s allies to loosen restrictions on weapons they provide, with the US and Germany authorizing attacks on Russian territory for the first time. Such strikes had previously been forbidden for fear of antagonizing the country with the biggest nuclear arsenal.
Ukraine’s approach to purchasing weapons
Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine’s deputy tech minister, gave reporters in Krakow a blunt assessment of his country’s approach to purchases: “It’s very simple,” he said. “If it kills Russians, we buy it.”
According to NATO and Ukrainian officials, Russia’s tech strategy relies heavily on buying drones from Iran and components from China. Russia’s military has circumvented sanctions to buy Western tech through third-party vendors.
In addition, Russia has also developed new technologies, including ones that can evade acoustic sensors set up to locate drones.
Read more:
- New Ukrainian drone to engage in tactical nighttime operations
- Ukraine seeks to expand battlefield tech with AI integration
- Ukraine launches website on Western components in Russian missiles and weapons
- OSINT agency: Cooperation between Russia and satellite imagery providers is possible despite sanctions
- Germany says Ukraine can strike Russia with Patriots to protect Kharkiv Oblast
