Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

At a recent event at Chatham House in the U.K, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. spoke four years after Russia’s invasion talking about the future of warfare. Valerii Zaluzhnyi is Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.K. and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, so his words carry weight. He spoke at Chatham House in late February where he gave his insights in the future of warfare.

In comments that will be of interest to a CyberSat audience, Zaluzhnyi said future conflicts will be fought by ‘autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems.’ Zaluzhnyi added that the ‘robotization’ of warfare will ensure military effectiveness without the need for human involvement, and that, as a result, there will be fewer casualties. However, he warned that while states could develop and control specific technologies, no-one country would be capable of dominating all vital military technologies needed in future conflicts.

With many now seeing space as a contested domain, Zaluzhnyi said technological advancements will transform the future of war, stating that modern conflicts have gone beyond conventional weapons and tactics.