As Iranian missiles and drones wrought havoc on cities and oil fields in the Middle East,

defence officials across the region reached for their Ukrainian contacts.

Four years on from Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces defending their skies from swarms of Russian drones now have the

technical know-how to lead the world in the air defense expertise required in today's conflict

zones. Nations across Europe and the Middle East are now talking with Ukraine as they seek to

bolster their own defenses in an unstable world.

As drones and AI transform modern warfare, can Ukraine ultimately leverage this new technology

to gain a significant advantage in the war?

And what are the consequences for future conflicts, the ethics of war and international security?

I'm Oz Katterjee, and this is not a drill. Joining me today to discuss a new frontier for battlefield technology and how Ukraine's innovations are

helping it defend its borders and secure its international relations is journalist and

associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, David Kirichenko, who has reported

from the front lines in his coverage of AI and autonomous systems.

Hi, David, thank you so much for joining us on This is Not a Drill.

So we've just had the Putin parade for Victory Day in Moscow, one that was the subject of much discussion, because certainly the way

the Ukrainians are portraying it, Putin had to effectively ask permission from Kiev to hold

that ceremony, and even then, there was no military element to it. Instead, he had military equipment

displayed on big screens. So certainly

a understated affair compared to usual years. How much of that is down to Ukraine's drone campaign

in 2026 alone? I think it is, a large degree responsible for influencing the Kremlin's decision

making around the parade. One Russian member of parliament did mention that there's just such a

big frontline need for the tanks and armored vehicles that that's why they didn't want to release

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