The increased emphasis on battlefield robots coincides with flying drones having made the modern battlefield exceptionally deadly for human soldiers. Persistent drone surveillance and drone strikes have created a “kill zone” stretching 12 miles (20 kilometers) beyond the frontline positions as of February 2026, forcing individual soldiers to hunker down or rely on nighttime darkness, anti-thermal cloaks, or foggy conditions to move about without risking a drone strike. Such drones are now inflicting the majority of battlefield casualties on both sides as the full-scale war enters its fifth year. The latest military drones being tested by Ukraine in combat are integrating autonomous, onboard software and AI-powered capabilities to track
→ Continue reading at Ars Technica