Ukraine is giving domestic and international partners access to real battlefield data to train artificial intelligence models, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced.
The program, enabled by a new government resolution, is designed to speed up the development of autonomous drones and other combat systems, a move described as a global first.
“Supporting battlefield decisions faster”
According to Fedorov, giving partners access to Ukraine’s unique combat datasets benefits the country in multiple ways. International companies and allies can advance their AI and defense technologies faster, while Ukraine gains insights and collaboration that accelerate the development of autonomous systems for its own forces.
“The future of warfare is autonomous systems. Our goal is to increase the level of autonomy in drones and other combat systems so that they can detect targets more quickly, analyze situations, and support decision-making on the battlefield,” he said.
Millions of combat images, continuously updated
The initiative uses a dedicated AI platform at the Ministry of Defense’s Innovation and Defense Technology Center, which provides secure access to millions of annotated images and video clips collected during tens of thousands of combat flights.
Models can be trained without exposing sensitive raw data, and datasets are continuously updated to reflect the evolving battlefield. This allows AI to learn from real-world conditions, improving its ability to detect targets, assess situations, and support rapid decision-making on the front lines.
Building on systems already in the field
The program builds on existing AI applications, such as the DELTA system, which already uses neural networks to automatically identify ground and aerial targets. By sharing real operational data, Ukraine ensures that these systems continue to improve rapidly, while also creating opportunities for joint innovation with partners.
Fedorov emphasized that the platform supports collaborative analytics, model training, and development of new technologies, framing the initiative as a win-win: partners gain access to real combat data, and Ukraine accelerates its own technological edge on the battlefield.
The ministry sees the move as a key step in maintaining technological superiority over Russia across each cycle of modern warfare.
