Ukraine's new generation of robotic weapons
At Business Insider, we're a little obsessed with weapons and defense as part of our technology and innovation coverage. To get you the latest from the field, we sent two journalists, Robert Leslie and Jake Epstein, to Ukraine in May. Their coverage is here, and more is coming.
Robert and Jake, what was the single biggest surprise from your trip?
JE: For me, how much progress Ukraine has made with robotics and drones compared with my previous visit in March 2025. The tech is far more sophisticated and is increasingly reliant on AI.
RL: Hearing from military units about how fast they can develop new iterations of their ground, air, and sea drones was eye-popping. In just a few weeks, they can design and battle-test technology that would take peace-time armies months, even years.
How is this new tech directly supporting the human soldiers still risking their lives?
JE: The best example is ground robots replacing humans in dangerous front-line missions, including retrieving wounded soldiers and transporting them to safer locations for care.
RL: We also saw giant bomber drones that are increasingly being deployed as heavy-lift platforms to deliver food, medicine, and water to the front.
What do you now see as the biggest questions about this war and the future of war?
JE: The heavy drone saturation on the battlefield has prevented either side from capturing any meaningful territory in years. What seems more impactful now are deep strikes: for Ukraine, mid- to long-range drone attacks on Russian logistics, supply routes, and energy infrastructure.
RL: The use of AI in target identification and drone navigation is widespread, but in most cases, a human hand is still on the trigger. The big question is, how soon before AI completes the "kill"?
Check out our video on Ukraine's latest weapons.
Jamie Heller is Editor in Chief of Business Insider. Before joining BI, she spent more than 20 years at The Wall Street Journal in a variety of editing roles, including leading business and tech coverage. Before the WSJ, she was a journalist at TheStreet.com, SmartMoney magazine, the Connecticut Law Tribune and the Rutland Herald. She attended Dartmouth College and Yale Law School.
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