Ukraine intends to systematically make the combat data it has collected during the war against Russia available for training AI models, Fedorov said, according to Reuters. “We will build a system where they can train their software products using our data,” he stated.

Fedorov took office as defense minister only last week. Previously, he served as minister of digital transformation and brings significant technical expertise to the role. In his new position, he aims to push forward reforms within the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces.

Millions of hours of drone footage as training material

Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has amassed extensive battlefield information. This includes systematically collected combat statistics and, in particular, millions of hours of drone footage captured from the air. Nearly four years of wartime experience have been documented.

Such data is extremely valuable for training AI models. These systems require large volumes of real-world information to learn patterns and make predictions about human or object behavior in different situations. Real combat data on this scale is rare, as most countries do not possess comparable material from a modern conflict of similar intensity and duration.

“Frontline data today has extraordinary value,” Fedorov said, adding that there is already demand for this material from Ukraine’s allies.

Data as a negotiating asset

Fedorov described Ukraine’s data trove as one of the “cards” it can play in negotiations with other nations. This wording suggests that Ukraine intends to deliberately use its unique wartime experience as leverage. While the country is disadvantaged in terms of manpower and material resources, it possesses something Western allies cannot easily obtain: real combat data from a high-intensity conflict involving modern technology.

The minister said he wants to involve allies more actively in Ukrainian projects, with data sharing potentially forming part of a broader strategy to strengthen and expand international support.

His team is already receiving advice from U.S. think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and RAND, as well as the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Fedorov also noted that Ukraine is already using AI technology from the U.S. data analytics company Palantir for both military and civilian applications.

Ukraine is effectively turning its wartime experience into a strategic digital asset by offering allies something they cannot obtain or simulate on their own. In the age of AI, real battlefield data is becoming as valuable as weapons themselves, and Kyiv clearly understands this