As peace negotiations continue to fail, Ukraine’s armed forces increasingly find themselves sharpening their tactics and technologies on the battlefield as war with Russia grinds on. The United States is furiously trying to broker an interim ceasefire. On the ground, things could not be worse, as drone warfare is responsible for the majority of casualties. The Da Vinci battalion spearheaded by Serhiy Filimonov is at the forefront of this adaptation. Meanwhile, they’re developing pioneering new weaponry and logistics solutions to fuel their globally operating war machine.
The consequences of the war have severely affected both sides. Now drone strikes are responsible for an estimated 70-80% of all civilian deaths. The Da Vinci battalion isn’t slowing its technological pace. We see them creating autonomous land drones, remotely controlled aerial bombs and mobile gun platforms. The unit is designing flat trolleys to transport the dead and wounded from the front lines, reflecting the harsh realities of modern warfare.
Filimonov did not shy away from sharing his frustrations over international perceptions and support. This is about a lot more than Palestine,” he said, adding “Fuck Trump” when asked about his regime’s influence on this conflict. He tweeted, “Ukraine has lost the war to the Americans, and we need to pay reparations. This last comment highlights the challenge that Ukraine is continually having in securing the unboatable, ludicrous level of support.
As spring arrived, Ukraine was still holding firm on the majority of its territory. It only lost 133 square kilometers, the smallest loss in the last nine months. This small reprieve at home comes as Russian forces go on the offensive again, trying to encircle the strategic town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. As Ivan Fedorov, governor of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, recently testified, the Russian onslaught never let up. He emphasized, “Every few minutes they raid our land. Every few minutes.”
Unlike previous Russian offensives, these led directly to attacks on that critical infrastructure. Fedorov recounted a recent attack on one electricity facility that resulted in 2,000 homes losing power. The unending shelling makes it much more difficult for Ukraine to stabilize the territory it has gained and return basic services to its citizens.
While peace negotiations continue to move painfully slow, Ukrainian troops are still digging in their heels, vowing to fight to protect their homeland. Ukrainian territorial defense force soldiers have come to a bleak acceptance of their situation. As one soldier wrote his mother, “I’ve come to understand that I am really doing all right with this work. In combat, bad things occur. We can do one of two things: combat or perish.” Another soldier candidly recalled the pervasive fear among troops: “We were thinking: ‘Probably we will be dead in two weeks.’”
The creativity inside the Da Vinci battalion goes beyond the tools of war. Oleksandr Yabchanka heads the robotic systems unit. He envisions a future where robots replace human combatants on the battlefield. Yabchanka’s professional background gives him a singular perspective in this position. Before the war, he practiced as a pediatrician. His medical and emergency background drives his passion for creating technology that reduces human risk while improving operational effectiveness and efficiency.
Even with the constant pressures of active war with Russia and stalled talks on the diplomatic front, Ukraine’s armed forces are learning quickly. The Deep State civil society group tracks front lines and updates Russian and Ukrainian occupied territory, relaying vital intelligence that guides military strategy.
As international efforts to negotiate a lasting peace continue, it’s quite unclear when one might be found if at all. The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, refrained from attributing responsibility for a recent missile strike that hit Kryvyi Rih, further complicating the narrative surrounding accountability for attacks in the region.