Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his speech at the UN General Assembly, stated that the development of weapons, particularly drones, is occurring much faster than humanity’s ability to defend against them. He emphasized that Russia’s actions have caused a significant leap in the arms race and called on the international community to develop global rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the military sphere.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Drones Change the Course of War and the Geography of Threats
The President stressed that currently, tens of thousands of people have learned to use drones as weapons, making it increasingly difficult to stop them. Previously, drones were only accessible to the largest states due to their high cost and complexity, but now even simple drones can cover thousands of kilometers and impact the security of entire regions.
“Now, tens of thousands of people have learned to kill professionally using drones. Stopping them will be much harder than stopping knives or even bombs. This is what Russia has done with its war. Previously, only the most powerful states could afford drones; they were expensive and complex. Now even simple drones can fly thousands of kilometers, changing even the geography itself,” said the president.
Zelensky reminded that due to the threat from drones, airports in Europe were recently closed, and North Korea is testing tactical strike drones. In his opinion, this indicates that even countries with limited resources can create modern weapons.
Ukraine Under Fire and the Global Threat of AI in War
The head of state emphasized that Ukraine and countries in the Middle East are well aware of the threat posed by Iranian drones, and the proliferation of these technologies among terrorist groups or cartels could lead to new forms of conflict. Zelensky warned that soon drones will be able to autonomously destroy each other and attack infrastructure without human involvement, aside from operators of artificial intelligence systems.
According to him, the world is witnessing the most dangerous “arms race” in human history, as modern weapons incorporate artificial intelligence. The president urged not to delay the development of international rules for the use of AI for military purposes, as procrastination could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Zelensky shared the Ukrainian experience of using drones to counter Russian aggression. He emphasized that Ukraine does not possess the powerful missiles that Russia showcases in parades, but is capable of using drones that cover thousands of kilometers to defend its territory. Examples of the effectiveness of such tactics include attacks on the Russian fleet and Operation “Web,” which demonstrated that modern types of weaponry can change the balance of power.
The president stressed that the full-scale war was unleashed by Putin, and it is Russia that bears responsibility for the escalation and increasing lethality of weapons. He noted that each year of war makes weapons even more dangerous for humanity.
Zelensky pointed out that Ukraine is forced to build underground schools and hospitals, and protecting critical infrastructure and farms from Russian FPV drones is becoming an increasingly challenging task, even compared to the problems posed by climate change.
He emphasized the need to unite efforts to end the war and stop a new arms race, which would be a cheaper and more effective way than trying to protect every strategic object from modern threats.
Ukrainian defense forces are actively using drones to strike military and energy facilities in Russia. At the same time, Russian troops are using FPV drones to attack civilians in frontline regions, while Shahed-type drones are used for massive air attacks. Moscow traditionally denies strikes on civilians.