In an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed meeting to reach a resolution to the years-long war between their two nations.

"We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention. Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting," Zelenskyy said in the letter.

"There are countries that have traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace. Switzerland, Türkiye, the countries of the Arab world — many are able and willing to host such a meeting. It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be," he asserted.

18 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP TO PASS UKRAINE AID PACKAGE HEADED FOR VETO FIGHT

Zelenskyy suggested that Europe and the U.S. should also be involved in the peace process.

"Since the war is taking place in Europe, and since Ukraine needs security guarantees, while you also seek security guarantees for yourself, it would be logical to involve those who can genuinely serve as guarantors. We believe Europe should be part of this process — those who truly have the capacity to influence the situation. We also believe that the United States must be part of the process. This is what could help shape a new security architecture for our part of the world," he said.

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He indicated that Ukraine would agree to a ceasefire during the proposed negotiations.

"Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations. This is standard practice, and current developments around Iran only reinforce that point. An attempt to establish real silence is the best way to begin talking to one another. We believe it would not simply be an attempt, but a real ceasefire — if that is what you want," he noted.

He also suggested a prisoner swap between the two nations, noting, "Ukraine is ready for an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war, and this could become a good prologue to ending the war. Serious steps must be taken to return civilians and children who were taken away during the war."

PENTAGON SLASHES NATO COMBAT COMMITMENTS AS TRUMP PUSHES EUROPE TO DEFEND ITSELF

"If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us. But you, too, will have to fight much harder for your own existence — not Russia’s, but your own. And this is not a threat from me or from Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes," Zelenskyy warned Putin.

A drone struck an apartment building Friday in Romania, a NATO member, causing an explosion and fire that injured multiple people, local authorities said.

According to Romania’s Ministry of Defense, the incident occurred as Russia carried out an overnight drone attack in neighboring Ukraine near the Romanian border.

"A drone entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar systems as far as the Southern area of Galați municipality, and crashed onto the roof of a residential apartment building," the ministry said.

Romania — a member of both NATO and the European Union — has reported more than two dozen incidents involving Russian drones entering its airspace since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.

NATO SCRAMBLES WARPLANES AS RUSSIA HITS NEAR ROMANIAN BORDER IN UKRAINE

Friday’s incident marked the first time a drone struck a populated area in Romania, resulting in injuries.

Romania’s state news agency reported that a woman and her child were hospitalized with minor injuries, while two other people were treated at the scene for panic attacks.

Following the incident, Romania requested additional anti-drone capabilities from NATO and described the drone’s flight path as a serious violation of international law, according to The Associated Press.

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Romania’s emergency response agency said the drone struck the apartment building and exploded, sparking a fire on the 10th floor.

The agency said the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated upon impact.

Seventy people were evacuated from the building, authorities said. The fire has since been brought under control.

NEW ROMANIAN LAW MAY HAVE AVERTED NATO CLASH WITH RUSSIA AFTER BORDER STRIKES

The defense ministry said two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter were deployed to monitor the Russian attack. The pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones that posed a threat.

The incident came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he was pressing the United States to provide additional Patriot air defense missiles to help counter Russian attacks.

He warned that deliveries to Ukraine were falling dangerously short as the conflict with Iran strains U.S. military resources and stockpiles.

"I believe [the U.S.] must act quicker. We are being very persistent," Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UNITED NATIONS — The Czech Republic is prepared to help protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and is aligning closely with the Trump administration on security, NATO and Israel, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview at the United Nations in New York.

Prague already had begun discussions about contributing specialized capabilities to help secure the strategically vital waterway amid growing tensions with Iran, Macinka said while speaking at Security Council-related meetings at the U.N. 

"We are ready to contribute to freedom of passage and the Hormuz trade," Macinka said. 

"We were among the first countries that were ready to contribute … We have no navy, as we are in the middle of Europe," he explained, "But we have some unique passive surveillance capabilities."

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Macinka warned that Iran posed a global threat through what he described as four main "war tools": nuclear proliferation, drones and ballistic missiles, international terrorism and threats to the Strait of Hormuz. 

"Their nuclear military program must be stopped," he said. "It’s a global risk and global threat."

The comments come as the Trump administration has increased pressure on European allies to take a larger role in protecting international shipping routes amid Iranian threats tied to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit choke points. Roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passes through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

Speaking after a meeting with foreign ministers in Sweden Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned the value of hosting U.S. military bases in allied countries that later restrict American military operations during wartime.

"One of the arguments I always made was that these bases in the region provided us with logistical options that we wouldn’t otherwise have," Rubio told reporters. "And when some of those bases are denied to you during a conflict that we’re involved in, then you question whether that value is still there."

President Donald Trump also has sharply criticized NATO allies over a reluctance to participate in military operations tied to the Iran conflict and securing the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump said he was "strongly considering" pulling the United States out of NATO after allies failed to join the U.S. campaign against Iran, according to an April 1 interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, calling the alliance a "paper tiger."

The Czech Republic, a NATO member since 1999, reached NATO’s benchmark of spending 2% of GDP on defense and has supported calls for Europe to increase military readiness amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Macinka strongly defended the administration’s calls for Europe to increase defense spending and reduce dependence on Washington for long-term security guarantees. 

"We should do our homework and build our defense to become stronger," he said, arguing that Europe had delayed necessary military investments for too long.

He also tied Europe’s defense spending challenges to the European Union’s Green Deal policies, the bloc’s sweeping climate agenda aimed at reducing carbon emissions, calling them ideological and financially destructive. 

"If we get rid of this green, crazy alarmism, then we have enough money to build our defense," he said.

The Czech foreign minister also voiced unusually direct support for Trump and his administration, praising what he described as a global "common sense" shift following Trump’s election victory.

"We are friends of Israel, and we are friends of America," Macinka said. "Especially me as a politician, I'm a friend of the ideology of the current American administration."

Macinka also referenced a clash earlier in 2026 with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Munich Security Conference, where he criticized Europe’s liberal political establishment and defended the populist wave reshaping parts of Europe and the United States.

EUROPE MUST LEAD ON UKRAINIAN SECURITY GUARANTEES, GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS: 'WE ARE THE NEIGHBORS'

Macinka linked Prague’s strong support for Ukraine to the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, when hundreds of thousands of Warsaw Pact troops occupied the country for more than two decades.

He said that historical experience continues to shape Czech public opinion and support for Kyiv.

"The Czech society feels a big solidarity with Ukraine," Macinka said, describing the war as a "symmetric war" between a powerful Russian military and a Ukrainian army backed by the West.

Macinka highlighted Prague’s leading role in a Czech-backed ammunition initiative supplying Ukraine with artillery rounds collected through international donor efforts. 

Recalling a visit to Kyiv earlier in 2026, he said he received intelligence briefings on battlefield ammunition consumption from Ukrainian military officials.

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The Czech initiative delivered more than half a million rounds of ammunition in 2026 alone, according to Macinka, helping stabilize the battlefield ahead of possible peace negotiations.

Macinka argued that maintaining a stable front is essential for meaningful negotiations, warning that shifting battle lines will only harden demands on both sides.

With Washington increasingly focused on the Middle East, Macinka also said Europe must begin taking a larger diplomatic role in future negotiations over Ukraine.

"America is quite busy with the Middle East," he said. "Europe should wake up and ask for a place at the table."

LVIV, Ukraine — As Kyiv takes a massive hit from Russia, another city seeks to carry on amid war. Four years into Russia’s war, the western Ukrainian city of Lviv is trying to master something impossible: how to live normally while surrounded by death.

At 11:30 a.m., the city stops.

Cars freeze in the middle of the street. Pedestrians pause on sidewalks. In the center of town, underneath the tall clock tower that rises above city hall, people bow their heads in silence as another military funeral convoy passes through the streets.

"It happens one to five times a day," a local resident says quietly.

The war feels far from Lviv, until suddenly it doesn’t.

UKRAINE’S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO

The city of roughly one million people sits near the Polish border, hundreds of miles from the brutal front lines in eastern Ukraine. But Russian drones and missiles still hit here. Air raid sirens interrupt coffee dates and children’s soccer games. Funeral processions cut through wedding traffic. Entire neighborhoods live between moments of beauty and grief.

"We lost approximately 2,000 citizens of Lviv," Mayor Andriy Sadovyi told Fox News Digital during an interview at city hall. "It is a very huge price which we pay to our independence, to our democracy."

Sadovyi has led the city for nearly two decades, except for a brief presidential run. Inside his office overlooking the historic center, he proudly points to the terrace where he has hosted world leaders and celebrities, including actor Tom Cruise. At one point, a large well-fed cat jumps onto his desk.

"This is my deputy," Sadovyi jokes. The cat, he explains proudly, has become something of a city mascot. "He’s tough like a Ukrainian."

But beneath the humor is exhaustion. Sadovyi says he realized at the beginning of the war that Lviv had a special responsibility. It was close enough to Europe to remain functioning, but close enough to war to understand what was at stake.

His answer was what he calls the "Unbroken" project: a sprawling rehabilitation and innovation effort aimed at helping Ukraine survive physically and psychologically.

The city built rehabilitation centers for wounded soldiers and civilians arriving from across the country, treating amputees, burn victims and trauma patients. Sadovyi says the municipality also dedicated 20% of its budget to supporting defense technology companies developing military solutions for the war effort.

"Every family in this city was affected by war," he says. "We need to be strong. We need to survive. I’m building what is needed for that."

'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES

Yet survival in Lviv is not only about weapons or hospitals. It is also about convincing people not to give up on life itself.

"People are afraid to come here," Sadovyi says. "But we need them to come."

One of the city’s newest projects reflects that mentality. Part school, part shooting range, part patriotic training center, it was designed to prepare civilians for a country where war has become everyday reality.

Inside one classroom, dozens of teenage girls sit listening to instructors explain emergency survival skills. Upstairs, at the indoor shooting range, instructor Vitaliy proudly shows off rows of American-made weapons including AR-15 style rifles and pistols.

"It’s not as big as ranges in the United States," he says apologetically.

On the wall hangs a shredded image of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, riddled with bullet holes from target practice.

Vitaliy laughs when asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin posters.

"We ran out," he jokes. "They’re too popular. We can’t keep them."

On the terrace outside, two wounded veterans practice archery.

One sits in a wheelchair after losing both legs in the war. Another leans on a cane. Both have become competitive athletes through rehabilitation programs.

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

One proudly explains he won a silver medal during a national contest. The other recently took gold and is now preparing for an international championship. Neither wants to talk much about what happened to them during combat.

Their therapy now is sport.

Down the road, another funeral begins. A military convoy carrying the body of a 32-year-old soldier drives slowly through the city center until it arrives at the cemetery.

The city’s military cemetery filled so quickly that officials recently had to open a new burial ground just weeks ago. Already, rows of fresh graves stretch across the hillside, above them blue-and-yellow flags and photographs of young men and women smiling back from before the war.

The grieving brother at the funeral says the fallen soldier never had time to start his own family.

Around him, families kneel beside the earth.

And still, life continues.

Children go to school. Mothers rush to work. Cafés remain packed. Street musicians perform in the old town square.

That same evening, inside the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet, hundreds gather for the "Miss Lviv" beauty pageant.

Young women dressed in glittering gowns pose beneath bright stage lights while music echoes through the theater. The audience is overwhelmingly female. Many of the men still in the city work in defense industries or hold exemptions from military service.

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The contrast feels surreal only hours after attending a military burial.

But for many residents, events like these are an act of resistance.

"We are trying to keep life going," the reigning Miss Lviv says backstage before crowning the next winner. "I want the war to stop."

One of her friends explains why gatherings like this matter.

"These are difficult times," she says. "Doing normal things like this gives us a reason to dress up and enjoy ourselves."

Nobody here believes anymore that peace can come in 24 hours. But many still hope that President Trump and the U.S. can help bring the war to an end.

By the time evening arrives, air raid sirens once again cut through the city.

At outdoor cafés, people barely react at first.

'WRITTEN IN OUR DNA': POLISH PILOTS WHO REMEMBER SOVIET RULE PREPARE FOR AMERICA'S MOST LETHAL FIGHTER JET

Parents continue watching children play near fountains. Young couples finish drinks on restaurant terraces. Residents wait to hear whether the threat is "only" drones or actual missiles before deciding whether to move toward one of the hundreds of shelters spread throughout the city.

That frustration increasingly extends beyond the battlefield itself. Speaking to Fox News Digital while the latest wave of Russian strikes battered Ukrainian cities overnight, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations Andriy Melnyk warned that the war was becoming even more dangerous for civilians.

Melnyk, a native of Lviv, described the massive Russian assault between Saturday and Sunday as "the worst and the most devastating Russian attack on the capital since the beginning of the large-scale invasion."

Even members of his own family in Kyiv, he said, are now considering temporarily leaving the city because "it becomes unbearable to stay."

In Lviv, residents repeatedly ask to remind the world that the war is still intensifying, not fading into the background. Melnyk called on the United States and European allies to take "bold actions" to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged Western countries to provide additional air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and drones targeting civilians.

He also criticized the United Nations for failing to stop the war, arguing that Russia’s veto power had left the Security Council effectively paralyzed.

On the overnight train leaving Lviv, most passengers are women. Border guards spend long minutes questioning the few men onboard, making sure they are not trying to escape mandatory military service. 

The exhaustion is visible everywhere. Still, Sadovyi is full of hope.

"This city will have a great future," he says confidently.

He believes the world will eventually come to Lviv not only to rebuild, but to learn.

"To learn how to be unbroken," he says.

Because, he warns, what happened to Ukraine could happen elsewhere too.

This is part three of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

LVIV, Ukraine — Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials across NATO’s eastern flank increasingly believe the alliance’s future is already being rewritten on Ukraine’s battlefield.

From drone warfare and cyber defense to civilian resilience and large-scale military mobilization, Eastern European officials say Ukraine has become one of the world’s most battle-tested militaries, forcing NATO to rethink how future wars will be fought.

This week, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been invited to attend the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara in July, underscoring how central Ukraine has become to NATO’s future despite not being a member of the alliance.

'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES

"I think today the Ukrainian army is the number one army in Europe," Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi told Fox News Digital during an interview in the western Ukrainian city.

"I think NATO needs the Ukrainian army," he added.

The debate over NATO’s future intensified this week as alliance foreign ministers gathered in Sweden ahead of a major NATO summit in July, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the upcoming meeting "one of the more important leaders’ summits in the history of NATO."

Rubio warned NATO allies this week that the alliance lacks sufficient munitions production for future conflicts, a concern echoed by retired Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, who said the Pentagon is studying Ukraine’s rapid wartime industrial adaptation.

"A number of nations are taking a page out of Ukraine’s transformation of its defense industrial base, in terms of quality as well as the tremendous increase in quantity of arms to the frontlines as well," Newton said, adding, "The Pentagon is taking note and working to encourage the transformation of our own industrial base so we can drastically improve and more rapidly provide capabilities to our forces in the field, not in a matter of years but in months and perhaps even in weeks."

Rubio also referenced President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would maintain troop deployments in Poland after concerns earlier this week about possible reductions on NATO’s eastern flank.

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Speaking before the NATO meeting, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski welcomed Trump’s announcement. "I want to thank President Trump for his announcement that the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels," Sikorski said.

"I think this makes Putin very uncomfortable."

Some note that the debate over NATO’s future comes with deep irony for Moscow.

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s central grievances before the invasion was NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s growing ambitions to move closer to the alliance. Moscow repeatedly demanded NATO roll back its military footprint to pre-1997 levels and opposed any future Ukrainian membership.

Instead, the invasion accelerated NATO’s expansion.

Finland formally joined NATO in 2023, ending decades of military nonalignment, while Sweden joined in 2024 after Russia’s invasion dramatically reshaped security calculations across northern Europe. Finland alone added more than 800 miles of direct NATO border with Russia.

Now officials in Poland and Ukraine say the war is not only expanding NATO geographically, but fundamentally transforming the alliance itself.

"For decades, NATO focused largely on expeditionary wars and counterterrorism," said Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski during an interview in Warsaw. "Modern warfare is mostly done by drones."

"There is not a military in the world which is better than Ukraine" in understanding today’s battlefield realities, he added.

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Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, who served as NATO supreme allied commander Europe, said the war has fundamentally transformed how militaries around the world understand modern warfare.

"The war in Ukraine has changed far more than just NATO’s understanding of modern warfare — it has changed the whole world’s understanding," Breedlove told Fox News Digital.

Breedlove added that Ukraine’s military has evolved into "one of Europe’s most capable and formidable" forces after years of fighting Russia, despite having surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

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"Today, most agree that Ukraine is not only fighting, but winning back land against one of the world’s most formidable forces," he said.

That transformation is visible throughout Ukraine.

Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine had one of Eastern Europe’s largest IT sectors. Sadovyi said the war forced much of that technological ecosystem to pivot toward defense production.

"Before the invasion, we had in Kyiv a huge IT cluster, 40,000 workers," Lviv’s mayor said. "During the war, we rebuilt the IT cluster to defend cluster."

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

Ukraine now operates a rapidly expanding wartime innovation ecosystem focused on drones, anti-drone systems, battlefield communications and decentralized weapons production. NATO officials and European militaries are increasingly studying those lessons closely.

Breedlove says the conflict exposed the limits of traditional air power and accelerated the rise of drone warfare.

"It’s critical to remember that the war in Ukraine is being fundamentally fought without the support of modern air warfare because of the failures of the Russian Air Force," he said.

"It’s why drone warfare has grown so exponentially, because neither side was able to marshal true modern air capabilities."

The changes are also reshaping NATO strategy.

The Polish defense official Zalewski told Fox News Digital the Pentagon is now promoting what Polish officials describe as "NATO 3.0," a model in which Europe assumes greater responsibility for conventional defense as the United States shifts more attention toward China and the Indo-Pacific.

"The main assumption of this concept is that conventionally it would be Europe defending itself," he said.

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That shift comes as Poland dramatically increases military spending and positions itself as one of NATO’s leading military powers on the alliance’s eastern flank. Warsaw spent nearly 5% of GDP on defense this year, the highest level in NATO.

Polish officials argue the war proved Eastern Europe was right to take Russia’s threat seriously long before many Western European countries did.

"The eastern flank is much more powerful than even five years ago," Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki told Fox News Digital during reporting in Warsaw.

"We were right about the nature of Putin’s regime and Russia’s aggressive strategy."

Ukraine is not currently a NATO member, and the alliance has avoided offering Kyiv a concrete timeline for accession during the war out of concern it could trigger direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

But across Eastern Europe, officials increasingly argue the alliance’s future may depend on Ukraine regardless of formal membership.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert Saturday warning that a "potentially significant air attack" could hit the city in the next 24 hours.

The U.S. Mission Ukraine said in a statement, "The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has received information concerning a potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time over the next 24 hours.

"The embassy, as always, recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced."

‘A NEW KIND OF WAR’: INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES

The embassy urged Americans to "identify shelter locations before any air alert," keep reserves of food, water and medication nearby, follow the "directions of Ukrainian officials and first responders in the event of an emergency," to immediately take shelter if an alert is announced and to download an air raid app like Air Raid Siren or Alarm App. 

By early Sunday morning, the capital was rocked by a massive missile and drone strike, Reuters reported. 

At least three people were injured and some residential buildings were damaged, the mayor said on Telegram. 

The message follows a warning from Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy that Russia was preparing to strike Ukraine with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile, citing Ukrainian as well as U.S. and European intelligence. 

"We are seeing signs of preparation for a combined strike on Ukrainian territory, including Kyiv, involving various types of weaponry," Zelenskyy wrote in an X post Saturday morning. 

"The specified intermediate-range weapons could be used in such a strike. It is important to act responsibly on air-raid alerts, starting this evening. Russian madness truly knows no bounds, so please protect your lives. Use shelters."

UKRAINE’S 'SPIDER’S WEB' DRONE STRIKE BURNS OVER 40 RUSSIAN WARPLANES, MOSCOW CALLS IT 'TERRORIST ATTACK'

He added that the use of such weapons would set a precedent for future aggressors. 

"If Russia is allowed to destroy lives on such a scale, then no agreement will restrain other similar hatred-based regimes from aggression and strikes," he said. "We count on a response from the world and on a response that is not post factum, but preventive. Pressure must be put on Moscow so that it does not expand the war."

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was preparing its air defenses as much as possible, and "we will respond fully justly to every Russian strike."

"We have given permission for a parade," he concluded his post, referring to the President Donald Trump-brokered three-day ceasefire earlier this month, "but Russia has no permission for madness. This war must be ended – we need peace, not some missiles satisfying the sick ambitions of one individual. I thank everyone helping to protect lives. Once again, please take care of yourselves and use shelters tonight."

At the start of the three-day ceasefire May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters he thought the war could come "to an end" soon. 

On Friday, however, Putin vowed retaliation for a deadly Ukrainian drone strike in Starobilsk, an occupied town in eastern Luhansk, claiming that the Ukrainians hit a college dormitory in a "terrorist" act. 

Ukraine denied the claim, saying it struck a Russian drone command unit in the area. 

LVIV, Ukraine: Exclusive — The same Iranian-designed Shahed drones that rain down in Lviv, Ukraine, nearly every night are now being hunted by weapons built just miles away inside hidden factories where former students and office workers assemble kamikaze drones and interceptor systems around the clock.

What began as an improvised wartime effort has evolved into one of the world's fastest-growing military drone industries. One Ukrainian official says Kyiv now leads NATO in battlefield innovation and can offer hard-won lessons for the U.S. and Israel as they confront the same Iranian drone technology across the Gulf.

"Drone technology completely changed the situation in the frontline," Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "Maybe in six months, maybe in one year, we will have technology to land 1,000 drones in one moment.

POLAND SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON SCRAPS PLANNED US ARMORED BRIGADE ROTATION

"If we will have more deep collaboration between Ukraine, the United States, Israel and Europe, we will prepare special equipment for our victory," he said.

Dmytro, CEO of a Ukrainian drone manufacturer producing roughly 1,000 drones a week, told Fox News Digital, "We are three or four steps ahead of other countries. … This is a new kind of war. It is a war of IT technology."

Cheap drones now allow small battlefield units to identify and destroy tanks, armored vehicles and even sophisticated air defense systems that once required expensive missiles or fighter aircraft.

That transformation is visible throughout western Ukraine, where defense technology hubs, secret workshops and testing sites now operate, while in the cities air raid sirens regularly interrupt daily life.

Inside a workshop Fox News Digital visited, workers moved rapidly between tables stacked with propellers, fiber optic cable and other classified drone components. The workers say they no longer see themselves as civilians temporarily helping the war effort. Many now view drone production as essential to Ukraine’s survival.

Vitaliy, one of the technicians assembling kamikaze drones destined for the front line, said he now builds hundreds of drone components a day. 

"Targets will be vehicles, tanks, troopers, positions," he told Fox News Digital.

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

Referring to President Donald Trump's statement that he will end the war, Vitaliy said, "I feel honored because I’m helping my country to get peace much faster," Vitaliy added. "Peace through strength — this is our motivation. But it is mostly on us, for sure."

Ukraine’s domestic drone production has expanded at a staggering pace. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Serhiy Boyev said earlier this year the country aims to produce more than seven million drones in 2026, up from roughly four million in 2025.

From AI-assisted battlefield systems to drones resistant to Russian electronic warfare, Ukraine’s wartime innovations are exposing vulnerabilities in traditional Western military doctrine.

At another defense technology hub in Lviv, rows of interceptor drones, unmanned ground vehicles and remotely operated weapons systems fill a showroom demonstrating Ukraine’s rapidly evolving battlefield ecosystem.

"We have around 250 tech companies in the system," said Volodymyr Cherniuk, co-founder of Iron, a Ukrainian defense technology cluster.

Some drones are designed for reconnaissance, others for evacuation, logistics or direct strike missions. One heavy-lift drone used for nighttime attacks has earned the nickname "Baba Yaga" from Russian troops, which Cherniuk translated as "boogeyman."

Another interceptor drone is designed specifically to hunt Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia uses in nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities.

UKRAINE’S 'SPIDER’S WEB' DRONE STRIKE BURNS OVER 40 RUSSIAN WARPLANES, MOSCOW CALLS IT 'TERRORIST ATTACK'

"They can go 300 kilometers per hour," Cherniuk said. "One hundred grams is enough to shut down a Shahed."

"We have a lot of Americans, Canadians, Europeans who come here and want our data, feedback from the front line," Dmytro said. 

As Fox News Digital reported from Lviv, air raid sirens repeatedly echoed across the city, a reminder that western Ukraine remains within reach of Russia’s expanding drone campaign.

Russia has dramatically escalated its aerial assaults in the recent week after the end of the short ceasefire, launching massive drone barrages targeting cities and logistical hubs across Ukraine, including areas near NATO territory close to the Polish border.

Ukraine has also increasingly demonstrated its ability to strike deep inside Russian territory with long-range drone attacks targeting areas around Moscow and Russian energy infrastructure.

But the evolving drone war has also increasingly spilled beyond Ukraine and Russia’s borders into NATO territory.

In recent weeks, drones linked to Ukrainian long-range strike operations entered the airspace of Baltic alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, triggering political fallout and renewed concerns about regional air defenses. Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds resigned after drones crashed near fuel storage facilities close to the Russian border.

Ukrainian and Baltic officials blamed Russian electronic warfare and GPS spoofing for redirecting the drones off course, arguing Moscow is increasingly using electronic warfare not only defensively, but also to create instability and political pressure inside NATO countries.

The incidents underscore how the same Iranian-designed Shahed drones Russia uses nightly against Ukrainian cities — and similar long-range drone technologies increasingly used by both sides — are reshaping modern warfare far beyond the battlefield itself.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said he thinks the war with Ukraine could end soon.

"I think that the matter ⁠is coming to an end," Putin told reporters, according to Reuters.

Putin’s words came a day after Trump announced a three-day ceasefire to celebrate the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, as well as a massive prisoner exchange between both nations.

The ceasefire began on Saturday and will run through Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES SURPRISE THREE-DAY CEASEFIRE IN RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

"This ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country," he added. "This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."

The day was celebrated with Russia’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.

The war in Ukraine has dragged on for more than four years after Russia invaded the country in February 2022, with the Kremlin initially believing it could win quickly yet Russia still hasn’t been able to take the entire Donbass region.

US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREED TO PRISONER SWAP

Putin told reporters that he would prefer to talk to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder when asked about talks with European leaders.

He added that he would only consider speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a lasting peace deal had been agreed upon.

On X, Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange of prisoners captured during the four-year conflict, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

"Within the framework of the negotiating process mediated by the American side, we received Russia’s agreement to conduct a prisoner exchange in the format of 1,000 for 1,000," he wrote. "A ceasefire regime must also be established on May 9, 10, and 11. Ukraine is consistently working to bring its people home from Russian captivity. I have instructed our team to promptly prepare everything necessary for the exchange."

Zelenskyy also thanked Trump for his diplomatic involvement in the process and said he hopes the United States will make sure Moscow abides by the agreement. 

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Russian drone and missile strikes on Tuesday killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 80 across Ukraine, just hours before Kyiv had planned a ceasefire and days ahead of a pause announced by Moscow.

Glide bombs struck the Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring 45. Overnight attacks left five people dead and 39 wounded, according to The Associated Press.

"Absolute cynicism — to demand silence for holding propagandistic celebrations and then deliver such missile and drone strikes on all the days leading up to it," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.

RUSSIA BUILT GLOBAL RECRUITMENT PIPELINE TARGETING VULNERABLE MIGRANTS FOR UKRAINE WAR: REPORT

Zelenskyy added that Russia could end the war at any time.

"Every day, Russia could cease fire, and that would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and real steps are required for it. Ukraine will act in kind," he said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry previously said it would impose a unilateral ceasefire on Friday and Saturday for Victory Day, but warned it would retaliate if Ukraine disrupts events, The Associated Press reported.

RUSSIAN MISSILES AND DRONES BOMBARD UKRAINE IN HOURSLONG ATTACK, KILLING AT LEAST 16

The United Nations welcomed the moves, with Secretary-General António Guterres urging a full ceasefire.

Guterres called for "a full, immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire, leading to a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace, in line with the U.N. Charter, international law and relevant U.N. resolutions," The Associated Press reported.

Victory Day, observed each year on May 9 in Russia, marks the Allied victory over Nazi Germany.

EXAMINING NATO: INSIDE THE ‘COMMITMENT GAP’ AS US CARRIES ALLIANCE DETERRENCE

Russia has previously announced short holiday truces — most recently for Orthodox Easter — but they have failed to hold amid persistent mistrust between the two countries.

During that ceasefire, Ukraine’s military reported more than 2,200 violations, including shelling, assaults and drone activity. 

Russia’s Defense Ministry, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of nearly 2,000 breaches, including strikes in border regions that it said injured civilians.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has publicly praised soldiers who killed themselves rather than be captured while fighting Ukrainian forces in Kursk region, offering the clearest confirmation yet of what officials and intelligence agencies have long described as one of Pyongyang’s most extreme battlefield policies.

In remarks published Monday by North Korean state media KCNA and first reported by Reuters, Kim honored troops who "unhesitatingly chose the path of self-destruction and suicide" rather than surrender, as he addressed Russian officials and bereaved families during a memorial ceremony for North Korean soldiers killed in combat.

"It is not only the heroes who unhesitatingly chose the path of self-destruction and suicide to defend great honor, but also those who fell while charging at the forefront of assault battles," Kim said.

The comments mark the first time Kim has directly acknowledged the lengths North Korean troops fighting for Russia have gone to in attempts to avoid capture by Ukrainian forces.

BATTERED IN UKRAINE, RUSSIA RACES TO REARM — BUT QUESTIONS LINGER OVER ITS MILITARY STRENGTH

North Korea deployed an estimated 14,000 troops to Russia’s western Kursk region to support Moscow’s war effort, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials cited by Reuters. Those same officials say the forces suffered staggering losses, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers believed killed in some of the war’s most intense fighting.

For months, intelligence reports, battlefield evidence and defector testimony have pointed to a grim directive: North Korean troops were expected to detonate grenades or otherwise take their own lives rather than risk capture.

That policy appears to have extended even to the few who survived. According to The Guardian, two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces and now held as prisoners of war in Kyiv both reportedly attempted to blow themselves up but were unable to do so because of severe injuries. One of the captured soldiers has reportedly expressed guilt over failing to carry out those orders.

NORTH KOREA VOWS 'TOUGHEST' US POLICY IN VAGUE ANNOUNCEMENT

Kim’s latest speech appears to transform those reports from battlefield allegations into publicly praised state doctrine.

"Those who writhed in frustration at failing to fulfill their duty as soldiers rather than suffering the agony of their bodies being torn apart by bullets and shells — these too can be called the party’s loyal warriors and patriots," Kim added.

The statement underscores the ideological intensity imposed on North Korean forces, whose loyalty to the regime appears to extend beyond combat to self-destruction.

The revelation also highlights the deepening military relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow.

According to South Korean intelligence assessments, North Korea has provided not only troops but also munitions to Russia, while receiving economic aid and military technology in return.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Russia has built what human rights investigators describe as a global pipeline recruiting vulnerable foreign nationals into its war against Ukraine, drawing tens of thousands from more than 130 countries through what groups allege are coercive, deceptive and in some cases trafficking-like practices.

After suffering major battlefield losses and seeking to avoid another politically risky domestic mobilization, Moscow institutionalized a worldwide recruitment system targeting some of the world’s most vulnerable populations to sustain its war machine, a new report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Truth Hounds and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights argues. 

Russia has recruited at least 27,000 foreign nationals since February 2022 from countries across Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, according to the report. Ukrainian authorities cited in the report project that Russia could recruit another 18,500 foreign nationals in 2026 alone, which would mark the highest annual total since the full-scale invasion began.

AS WAR LOSSES NEAR 2 MILLION, RUSSIA ACCUSED OF TRAFFICKING FOREIGN RECRUITS FROM AFRICA, ASIA

"This report highlights something fundamental: that the use of foreign fighters by Russia is neither a marginal nor a spontaneous phenomenon. Russia has built a global recruitment system that deliberately targets the most vulnerable populations — undocumented migrants, detainees, precarious workers, or even foreign students — across dozens of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America," said Alexis Deswaef, president of the International Federation for Human Rights. 

"Many of these men knew in some capacity what they were signing up for. But some were also deceived or coerced. But in all cases, it is a State that has instrumentalised them as part of its war machine and sent them to the most dangerous positions on the frontline."

The report’s central allegation is that Russia’s recruitment apparatus extends far beyond traditional mercenary networks and instead functions as a state-enabled global system that exploits poverty, legal vulnerability and migration insecurity.

Investigators say recruitment evolved from relying primarily on ideologically motivated volunteers early in the war to a broader institutionalized model by mid-2023, after Russia expanded legal eligibility for foreign nationals, eased language and residency requirements, and offered citizenship and financial incentives in exchange for service.

NORTH KOREAN LABORERS DESCRIBE BRUTAL FORCED LABOR IN RUSSIA: "WORKING LIKE A COW, EARNING NOTHING"

In some cases, according to the report, migrants inside Russia were allegedly pressured to enlist through raids, detention threats, document confiscation, fabricated criminal charges and abuse. Outside Russia, recruits were often allegedly lured through promises of civilian jobs, noncombat positions or pathways to Europe, only to be routed into military contracts they often could not read.

Of 16 prisoners of war interviewed for the report, 13 said they were told they would not be required to fight, but were later deployed to frontline positions, often within weeks.

The report also alleges many foreign recruits were funneled into so-called "meat assaults" — high-risk frontal attacks associated with severe casualty rates. Ukrainian estimates cited in the report say at least 3,388 foreign fighters have been killed, with some estimates suggesting one in five recruits may not survive deployment.

HEGSETH WARNS RUSSIA AS SIGNS POINT TO MOSCOW SHARING INTEL WITH IRAN 

"Despite the fact that many states are taking measures to curb recruitment, and although Russia claims it is no longer recruiting citizens from certain countries, the predatory recruitment continues. Ukrainian authorities predict that in 2026 Russia will engage more 18,500 foreign nationals, marking the highest annual figure since 2022," said Maria Tomak, associated researcher and advocacy expert at Truth Hounds.

"This underscores the continued relevance of our report. Our primary objective remains clear: to halt recruitment and to compel Russia to repatriate those already recruited."

The report stops short of claiming every foreign fighter was trafficked, noting some enlisted voluntarily for financial gain, but concludes there are reasonable grounds to believe at least some cases meet international definitions of trafficking in persons through deception, coercion and exploitation.

For investigators, the broader concern is that Russia’s war effort may now depend in part on a transnational manpower pipeline that weaponizes global inequality, drawing economically desperate men from around the world into one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts.

The report calls on governments, international organizations and Ukraine’s allies to crack down on recruitment networks, pressure Moscow diplomatically and push for repatriation of foreign nationals already caught in Russia’s military system.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment but did not receive a response.

A Russian gunman was killed by special forces Saturday in Ukraine after opening fire at a supermarket in Kyiv, killing six people and wounding 14 others — including a 12‑year‑old boy.

The 58-year-old shooter long resided in the Donetsk region and was born in Moscow, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

He took at least four hostages, killed one of them, and fatally shot four others on the street, Zelenskyy said. Another woman died at a hospital from her injuries.

Graphic video captured by witnesses showed the gunman shooting at a victim within close range on the street. Other bodies were seen lying on the pavement and in courtyards.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER GUNMEN STORM CHICK-FIL-A LEAVING 1 DEAD

Ukranian special forces stormed the convenience store after 40 minutes of failed negotiations, according to Klymenko.

At least fourteen people were wounded in the attack, though officials cautioned the number may rise as people continue to seek medical assistance.

Among the injured is a 12‑year‑old boy and a supermarket security guard, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

NINE DEAD, 13 WOUNDED IN SECOND TURKISH MASS SHOOTING IN TWO DAYS

Zelenskyy said the shooter also set fire to an apartment prior to the attack, though it is unclear if any injuries resulted from the arson.

"My condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims," Zelenskyy wrote in an X post. "...We wish all the wounded a swift recovery."

The gunman had previously been prosecuted for criminal offenses, but held a valid weapons permit, according to authorities. Investigators from the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine are investigating.

GUNMAN OPENS FIRE AT HIGH SCHOOL IN TURKEY, WOUNDING AT LEAST 16

Ukraine’s security service labeled the attack an act of terrorism.

"All available information about him and the motives behind his actions is being thoroughly investigated," Zelenskyy said. "Every detail must be verified."

One of the shooter's neighbors, Hanna Kulyk, 75, described him as an "educated, refined man," who lived alone and did not socialize often.

"You’d never guess he was some kind of criminal," Kulyk told The Associated Press.

Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.

Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.

Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.

"On the third attack, everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog," she told The Associated Press. "I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress."

RUSSIAN WINTER STRIKE LEAVES NEARLY 800K HOMES WITHOUT POWER AND HEAT IN UKRAINE’S DNIPRO REGION

Moscow's forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.

Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses

The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.

Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.

Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin's war effort.

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF 'DANGEROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ESCALATION' IN UKRAINE WAR DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

"Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions," Zelenskyy said on X.

He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine's air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.

At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven't followed through on pledges of military support.

"I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems," Zelenskyy said.

Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit

The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.

At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.

RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK ON PASSENGER TRAIN IS AN ‘ACT OF TERRORISM,’ ZELENSKYY SAYS

Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.

"Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account," Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.

It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.

He said that the attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near the port of Tuapse.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Ukraine’s allies pledged a massive new military aid package Wednesday, including 120,000 drones from the U.K., after Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles in fresh overnight strikes.

The commitments came as Kyiv warned of escalating Russian bombardments and urgently pressed for more air defenses.

Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.

Russian strikes hit more than a half a dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

‘ONLY TRUMP CAN STOP RUSSIA’: MILLIONS FACE FREEZING WINTER, UKRAINE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WARNS

Between November and March alone, Moscow fired roughly 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

"Every day we need air defense missiles — every day Russia continues its strikes," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

The latest attacks struck multiple regions behind the front lines, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and injuring a woman in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukrainian officials.

RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KHARKIV WIPES OUT YOUNG FAMILY, LEAVING PREGNANT MOTHER AS SOLE SURVIVOR

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has now stretched beyond three years.

Defense leaders from about 50 countries met virtually Wednesday to coordinate military aid and boost weapons production and especially air defense systems.

The session was led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also present. The United States was represented by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABI

Several countries also announced new contributions to Ukraine. Germany and Ukraine agreed on a 4 billion euro ($4.7 billion) defense package, while Norway pledged 9 billion euros (about $10.6 billion) in assistance.

The Netherlands said it will spend 248 million euros ($293 million) to produce drones for Ukraine. The United Kingdom pledged 120,000 drones.

Russia pushed back on the expanded support, warning that European efforts to boost drone production for Ukraine risk deepening their involvement in the conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the decision by European countries to supply drones to Ukraine was leading to an escalation of the military-political situation and a "creeping transformation" into Ukraine’s strategic support base, TASS reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday that Ukraine had captured a Russian position using an entirely unmanned robot ground force.

"For the first time in the history of this war, Ukrainian warriors captured an enemy position using exclusively unmanned platforms," he said during a speech to weapons manufacturers on Ukraine's Arms Makers' Day.

"The future is here, on the battlefield, and Ukraine is creating it," he said in a video posted to X by a Ukrainian journalist.

The offensive, which took place in an unspecified location, was operated through drones and a grid-based robotic system (GRS) platform, an unmanned defense system.

ZELENSKYY OFFERS CUTTING-EDGE DRONE DEFENSE TO GULF ALLIES AS UKRAINE SEEKS MISSILE SUPPORT

Zelenskyy claimed that such autonomous systems have participated in over 22,000 frontline missions in just three months.

Machines used included the TerMIT, a multifunctional ground robotic system designed to lay mines, and provide fire support; the Zmiy, a next-generation armored robotic platform developed for cargo transport; and the Protector, a heavy unmanned ground system.

Zelenskyy also touted his country's use of drones, an integral cog in Ukraine's war plan.

SEN WICKER: ENDING CHINA’S DRONE DOMINANCE WITH A MADE-IN-AMERICA REVIVAL

"Our missiles, our unmanned systems, our interceptors, attack and naval drones, reconnaissance systems, artillery, our ammunition, armored vehicles, robotic platforms, and much more. All that today is truly proudly called – the weapons of Ukraine," the president added.

"They defend our skies, our cities and villages, save lives, and prove that 'Made in Ukraine' is synonymous with effectiveness and strength," he concluded.

Experts and commentators pointed to the growing use of unmanned technology as a turning point in the way wars are fought.

"So, if this starts happening at scale - which is the logical conclusion - would this change the nature, rather than the character, of war folks?" Dr. Patrick Bury, a senior professor of warfare and counter-terrorism at the University of Bath, wrote on X.

"I’m not sure the world is fully ready for when ground invasions can be accomplished by Black Mirror robot dogs," wrote Mike Benz, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. State Department. "'Boots on the ground' will no longer carry the political risk of sending 'our boys' out to fight. The temptation for robot-only ground invasions could be… enormous," he finished.

Benz reference to robot dogs highlights Ukraine's previous use of autonomous dog-like drones in their ongoing war with Russia.