As Ukraine enters its fourth year of war against Russia, the country is achieving rapid defense technology innovation by using vast amounts of battlefield data accumulated from real combat, according to defense technology executives and policy experts.
Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of UFORCE, said during a session at the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills on May 5 that Ukraine’s defense sector is advancing at an unprecedented pace because its technologies are being tested and refined directly on the battlefield.
“Ukraine’s technological innovation in the defense industry is growing at an unprecedented speed based on battlefield experience,” Rogynskyy said. “We are seeing particularly notable progress in strike capabilities.”
UFORCE is Ukraine’s first defense technology unicorn, with a valuation of more than $1 billion. Its core strength lies in artificial intelligence algorithms refined through tens of thousands of real combat missions.
The company’s unmanned surface vessel, Magura, has demonstrated the effectiveness of unmanned systems by helping sink more than 10 Russian naval vessels in Black Sea operations.
Rogynskyy said UFORCE expects to provide advanced “warrior platforms” to individual Ukrainian soldiers within the next 10 months. The warrior platform refers to a next-generation infantry system that integrates advanced technology into personal combat equipment to improve survival rates and battlefield efficiency.
Other panelists also highlighted Ukraine’s rapid technological progress.
Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, said Ukraine’s defense technology growth could offer European countries a new way to address security challenges, especially as relations between the United States and Europe shift and European leaders face growing uncertainty over President Donald Trump.
Experts also pointed to challenges Ukraine must address to sustain that momentum.
Rogynskyy said the process from weapons development to delivery has become more streamlined, but added that further deregulation is needed to attract large-scale global capital.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also joined the panel, agreed.
“Many investors are watching Ukraine,” Pompeo said, adding that an improved regulatory environment would provide major benefits for both Ukraine’s economy and national security.
Ukrainian political leaders have also acknowledged the need for institutional reform and are working to improve the investment environment.
Halyna Yanchenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament who leads a defense industry investment task force, told The Korea Daily in an exclusive interview last July that Ukraine is working to promote domestic investment and build a more active defense industry ecosystem through legislation.
“We have also created an environment where new technologies can be tested in real combat,” Yanchenko said at the time.
She added that Ukraine’s defense industry has grown 35-fold over the past three years.
