23 April 2026

Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Budanov has revealed that Ukraine has developments in the field of artificial intelligence integration into drone operations and that this will very soon become a “surprise” for the Russians.

Source: Budanov at the Kyiv Security Forum and on social media

Quote: “In military terms, we are at a stage where the quantitative build-up of drones no longer resolves the issue fundamentally. Both we and the enemy have reached a certain maximum in the use of available control technologies.

The next stage is full integration of artificial intelligence.

We need a transition to autonomous systems capable of independently identifying targets and manoeuvring.

Ukraine already has such developments, and I am convinced that very soon they will become a surprise for the enemy.”

Details: Budanov added that for success in negotiations, Ukraine must be strong on the battlefield and united at home.

He stressed that Ukraine’s red lines remain unchanged: “We do not recognise any territorial losses and are not going to trade our own land.”

He also stated that Ukraine’s “oil sanctions” are working effectively.

Budanov believes that this is not only a financial blow to Russia but above all a powerful reputational strike: “The world sees that Russia is no longer a reliable supplier. Our goal is clear – to deprive the enemy of resources to wage war”.

Background: Budanov believes that Ukraine’s defence and industrial capability currently cannot freely work for export, but Ukraine can sell what it has in surplus, such as naval drones.

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/04/23/8031551