Western technology that would allow Ukraine to coordinate groups of drones using artificial intelligence could drive the conflict into a sharper phase of escalation, retired colonel Andrey Koshkin, head of the Department of Political Analysis at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Lenta.ru.

Koshkin said AI-based military systems significantly raise the level of tension around the Ukrainian conflict. At the same time, he stressed that Russia is not facing this trend unprepared, as similar technologies are also being developed in the country.

According to the expert, economically advanced states are trying to use Ukraine as a testing ground for new military concepts. Once tested in combat conditions, these solutions could later be introduced in Western countries themselves.

Koshkin singled out unmanned systems as especially important. In his view, drones are changing the nature of warfare, blurring the line of contact and forcing armies to rethink their standard troop structures. He compared the shift to the 17th century, when the spread of firearms seriously altered combined-arms tactics. However, he said it is still too early to classify drones as weapons of mass destruction.

He also noted that the first FPV drone, Joker, was developed in Russia by the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions together with the Ministry of Defense. The tenth version of the system is now in service.