Russian Military Autonomy in a Ukraine Conflict

The Russian military continues to mass military forces opposite Ukraine and recent diplomatic efforts between the United States, NATO, and Europe do not seem to have prevented a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. If the Russian military does conduct operations in Ukraine, it will do so with a burgeoning set of autonomous capabilities that it can use to enhance a diverse set of operations, including reconnaissance and fire and command and control.

The Russian political and military leadership have placed a high value on the need for Russia’s military forces to integrate higher levels of autonomy in order to increase its warfighting capabilities and help preserve combat power. In almost every domain—from air, ground, and sea, to the electromagnetic spectrum—the Russian military is testing new autonomous systems and technologies.