Ukrainian Drones Now Find Their Own Targets
'Target lock' technology allows attacks to continue even after Russian electronic warfare cuts the signal, while Zelensky builds a new regional initiative in parallel
'Target lock' technology allows attacks to continue even after Russian electronic warfare cuts the signal, while Zelensky builds a new regional initiative in parallel
Ukraine is using drones on the battlefield that can continue flying and hit their target even when Russian electronic warfare completely severs the connection with the human operator. This 'target lock' technology, according to Business Insider, has proven extremely useful in conditions of constant signal jamming.
Dmytro "Liber" Zhluktenko, a former drone operator and analyst in the 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment "RAID," told Business Insider that many Ukrainian drones use this capability. "It's quite useful," he said, adding that the autonomy that allows the drone to "do the rest of the job is simply great."
The target lock capability is used on systems like the Hornet drone by Perennial Autonomy. Zhluktenko notes that the drone communicates with the operator via a Starlink terminal, but sharp turns and aggressive maneuvers sometimes break that connection. In such moments, the technology takes over.
Some systems, as Zhluktenko described, "can move and fly a route on their own without human input," comparing camera images with stored satellite maps. However, he emphasized that all currently deployed systems on the battlefield "have a human in the loop to a very significant extent."
An early form of this technology was observed in June 2025 during Operation Spiderweb. Ukrainian forces then carried out an attack in which drones, brought by trucks close to Russian bases, hit 41 Russian aircraft. According to Business Insider, when some drones lost signal, they used artificial intelligence to continue along a pre-planned route and automatically activate warheads upon finding targets.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense highlighted the work of the company F-Drones and its LITAVR drone, which has an automatic terminal guidance system. "It identifies the target and autonomously guides the drone to the strike," the ministry explained. "During the final phase of flight, the operator controls only the speed, while all other functions are performed automatically."
Mykyta Rozhkov, chief business development officer at Ukrainian drone and weapons manufacturer Frontline Robotics, told Business Insider that many drones can already autonomously navigate to targets identified by operators. "You need a certain level of autonomy to achieve that," he said.
The company The Fourth Law produces the TFL-1 terminal guidance module that can be attached to various types of drones, allowing them to complete an attack even after losing connection. In June 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that a company had developed technology that automates 95% of the engagement cycle of an interceptor drone.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said back in March 2026: "In modern warfare, we must defeat Russia in every technological cycle. Artificial intelligence is one of the key areas of this competition." He added that "the future of warfare belongs to autonomous systems," and the task is to increase drone autonomy to detect targets faster and analyze the situation.
Agris Kipurs, CEO of Latvian drone manufacturer Origin Robotics, which supplies Ukraine, emphasized to Business Insider the importance of autonomy for smaller armies. "We don't have the numbers in infantry," he said. Brave1, Ukraine's government platform for defense technologies, assessed that autonomous target detection and destruction is "key to preserving resources and increasing combat effectiveness."
Bohdan Sas, president and co-founder of Ukrainian defense company Buntar Aerospace, explained to Business Insider that some companies have managed to "automate some simple tasks," like final target acquisition. Frontline Robotics expects to achieve "not fully autonomous, but fairly autonomous robot operations in real combat conditions" within 12 months, Rozhkov said.
In parallel with technological advances on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on August 3, 2026, the launch of the Carpathian Initiative, a new format of cooperation bringing together countries linked by the Carpathian Mountains. "We have started the track of the Carpathian Initiative. Why did this idea come up? Because not all countries are ready to strengthen us with weapons, but they want to stand by us on the humanitarian and security front and in the economic sphere," Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
The initiative includes Ukraine, Romania, Austria, Serbia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. "This is not just about the Ukrainian Carpathians," Zelensky emphasized, adding that he presented the idea to the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, who "received it very well." The format is expected to be officially launched in the fall and will cover funding programs, tourism, economy, and security.
On the same day, Zelensky also spoke about Putin's "puzzle" of reassembling what has already fallen apart, stressing the importance of the independence of former Soviet republics. "Putin's puzzle is to reassemble what has already fallen apart. The stronger and more independent the countries of the former Soviet Union are, the harder it will be for him. Ukraine is a key piece in that puzzle," he said.
