Ukraine's former defence minister Fedorov unveils new Army of Robots project: what is known

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced a new defence project called Army of Robots. The concept involves developing humanoid robots capable of carrying out simple frontline tasks instead of soldiers. Fedorov presented the project on 26 September at the IT Arena 2026 conference in Lviv.

Source: Oboronka, a defence industry project created within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company

Details: The new project is a continuation of the Air. Land. Economy concept that Fedorov's team has been working on since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Quote: "There will be humanoid robots that will perform simple tasks: reloading a machine gun, replacing a battery or installing a sensor. These are things a robot can be taught quickly and carry out after a rapid deployment to the battlefield."

More details: Fedorov said the first goal of the Army of Robots project was for a humanoid robot to kill a Russian soldier within six months of the programme's launch. The project also aims to conduct its first operation involving robots and drones within the first 12 months, with the systems "communicating" through algorithms. Fedorov's team believes the project could change perceptions of what warfare will look like.

The project envisages creating a technological ecosystem to be developed by a "large private technology company", whose name will be announced later. The idea is for humanoid robots to operate autonomously alongside UAVs, unmanned ground vehicles and other classes of unmanned weapons.

Fedorov said the Army of Robots project is currently seeking engineers, teams and specialists in Ukraine and the West, as well as investment to develop robots capable of replacing Ukrainian infantry soldiers on the battlefield.

In addition to this line of work, the Army of Robots project also envisages developing low-cost interceptor missiles and AI-based strike systems. Ukrainian and foreign defence companies specialising in software, weapons manufacturing and other technologies are being invited to take part in the project.

Background:

• In early September 2026, Fedorov announced plans to establish his own defence-tech company, with Alex Karp, CEO of US technology company Palantir, set to become its key investor.
• A venture fund is also being established in Kyiv to invest in defence companies and finance both startups and established manufacturers.

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Originally reported by Ukrainska Pravda by Andrii Konyk,Illia Volynskyi. Read the full story at the source.