The Ukrainian army is using AI-piloted drones produced locally to target Russian logistics deep behind the front lines. Kiev is relying on this technology to offset its military shortfall compared to Moscow.
The goal is to disrupt logistics deep within Russian territory. As reported by Forbes, the Ukrainian army has been using AI-equipped drones to target Russian assets for the past few months.
During the summer of 2025, a journalist witnessed a drone automatically locking onto a target on screen. Moments later, another vehicle appeared on screen. A second drone was launched and hit its target a few minutes later, a routine now for Ukrainian operators.
These drones help identify targets faster and penetrate deeper behind Russian lines to strike logistical networks.
Azov returns to Mariupol. For now, through reconnaissance-strike systems.
“Faster and further strikes”
The 13th Khartiia brigade, led by Heorhii Volkov, uses Hornet drones equipped with AI costing less than $6,000 each. Instead of targeting troops on the front lines, Kiev aims to disrupt the entire Russian military infrastructure. “As soon as we started hitting targets 30 to 40 kilometers behind the lines, we saw immediate results,” explained Heorhii Volkov.
The aim is to cut off Russian forces’ supplies of ammunition, fuel, and food to prevent them from reaching the front lines, located between 30 and 120 kilometers away.
“In a war of attrition, the advantage goes to those who can strike faster and further,” said a Ukrainian drone warfare expert. An ex-military member analyzed, “We are moving from a model where one operator controls a drone to a model where they program dozens, or even hundreds.”
Kiev’s next step is to establish a semi-autonomous wall of AI-equipped drones capable of striking before targets reach the front lines.
