Kyiv's 2026 Research Priorities Reveal How Tech Is Driving War's Future

Ukraine's research priorities for this year reflect the next stage of the technological revolution, exemplified by drone dominance. 

Faster scaling of new technologies, organizational design changes necessitated by the need to deploy more technology, including drones, faster and deeper, and the implementation of AI to assist with targeting, Russian drone and missile interception all reflect the realities of the battlefield. What is interesting, especially to business executives, is that the need for new technology has been largely supplanted by the demand for better institutional adaptation and scaling in order to optimize the impact of these victory-driving innovations. JL

Mick Ryan reports in Futura Doctrina:

The Ukrainian Armed Forces released its research priorities for the coming year. The main change from 2025 is the transition from chaotic developments to a holistic state system…Last year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine completed the formation of a holistic system that allows them to respond instantly to the challenges of war. The key principle is feedback. The focus is on four strategic areas: improvement of innovation management, scaling, AI implementation, integration of unmanned systems into all branches of the service. 

This week, the Ukrainian Armed Forces released its research priorities for the coming year. The briefing provided a look back at 2025, noting that:

The main change in 2025 is the transition from chaotic developments to a holistic state system…Last year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine completed the formation of a holistic system that allows them to respond instantly to the challenges of war. The key principle is feedback.

The key priorities for research funding (and percentage of research funding received) in 2025 were:

• UAV – 28%.

• Robotic systems (RCS) – 15%.

• Communication and information protection – 11%.

• Electronic warfare and countermeasure systems – 8%.

This year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will focus on four strategic areas:

1. Improvement of the innovation management system.

2. Scaling of research activities.

3. Deep implementation of Artificial Intelligence technologies.

4. Further development and integration of unmanned systems in all branches of troops.