AFU reviewed more than 1,000 innovative projects over course of year: more than 130 received grant support. PHOTOS
In 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reviewed over a thousand innovative projects proposed by developers for the needs of the front line.
This was announced at a briefing at Ukrinform by Colonel Vitalii Dobrianskyi, head of the Central Directorate for Innovation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Major Andrii Kovalov, an officer of the media relations department of the Public Relations Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to a correspondent from Censor.NET.
Details
Based on the results of the evaluation, more than 130 of them received grant support for further development.
The largest share of the supported developments are unmanned aerial systems — about 28%. Robotic and remotely controlled systems (15%), solutions in the field of communications and information protection (11%), as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems also occupy a significant share.
According to command representatives, more than 35 mobile groups have been created to collect up-to-date information about the needs of the front. They work directly in combat brigades and analyse the experience of using new technologies, as well as captured enemy weapons.
An important part of the implementation of innovations was the deployment of the Iron Range testing ecosystem. In 2025, more than 500 applications were submitted for testing new models of weapons and equipment, of which more than 250 successfully completed testing. These include, in particular, unmanned aerial and ground systems, electronic warfare equipment, communications equipment, automotive and armoured vehicles, and engineering solutions.
Also in 2025, more than 80 new types of weapons and military equipment were codified in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them are more than 15 unmanned aerial systems, more than 20 types of electronic warfare equipment, more than 30 ground-based robotic complexes, and several communication systems.
A separate area of development was the scaling up of ground-based robotic systems. The army has already formed more than 80 companies of unmanned ground systems, more than 50 battalions of such systems, as well as dozens of engineering and logistics units that use them.
In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are working on the creation of unified systems for controlling unmanned complexes, electronic warfare and enemy reconnaissance, as well as on the development of information and communication systems for the rapid exchange of combat data between units.
One of the promising areas is the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. In 2025, a concept for the use of such technologies in the activities of the Ukrainian army was developed and approved, and specialised units were created for their research and implementation.
The Armed Forces emphasise that further development of innovations will take place in close international cooperation through joint testing of new systems and partnership technology projects. This should help to implement modern solutions more quickly and strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities.
