05/30/2026
American startup Foundation Future Industries sent early versions of its humanoid robots to Ukraine for testing in a combat zone. The humanoids are known to have been involved in logistical tasks, including carrying cargo.
This was reported by CNBC. Journalists noted that the company has already tested its machines in Ukraine and plans to soon offer this technology to the US Army.
What tests of humanoid robots in wartime have shown
Two Phantom MK-1s were sent to Ukraine earlier this year for a pilot demonstration, in what the inventors called the first known deployment of humanoid robots in a combat theater.
Current tests, supported by the US government and conducted with the participation of Ukrainian officials, focus on logistics in dangerous areas.
Foundation Future Industries CEO Sankaet Pathak says that the MK-1 tests in Ukraine have “already proven the robot’s potential” for moving cargo, a task that often puts soldiers at risk.
It is known that the early version of the Phantom MK-1 is only capable of lifting 44 pounds (~20 kilograms). The robots also lack waterproofing and battery life.
This year, the developers plan to send new and improved humanoid robots to Ukraine – Phantom MK-2. Pathak assures that the updated version will have “superhuman abilities” and double the carrying capacity of the first humanoids from Foundation Future Industries.
What is known about Foundation Future Industries
This is a robotics company from San Francisco, California, founded in 2024. It wants to produce autonomous humanoid robots with dual purposes: for both heavy industry and military applications.
The media learned that the Future Industries Foundation recently invited Eric Trump, the son of the current US president, to the position of chief strategy advisor.
A representative for the startup told CNBC that Trump Jr. was an investor in the firm before becoming an advisor, and the two parties “share a common vision for manufacturing.”
As OBOZ.UA wrote:
– In 2026, Ukraine plans to significantly scale up the production of ground robotic complexes, which are already used on the front. These systems perform combat, logistical and evacuation tasks, reducing risks for soldiers. According to The Telegraph, in the first half of this year, our state plans to produce 25 thousand NRCs.
– President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that NRCs are becoming one of the key elements of modern warfare.