AI Nodus: Ukraine - Week of September 24, 2025
AI Nodus: Ukraine is a bi-weekly report tracking AI developments across Ukraine's government, defense, and technology sectors.
Key Developments:
Ministry of Digital Transformation advances national LLM development with Kyivstar partnership
Diia.AI processes 310,000 daily requests while preparing mobile deployment
Defense startup Swarmer secures $15M for AI-powered drone swarm technology
Ukrainian military processes 50,000+ monthly video streams using combat AI datasets
Heavy ground robotics platform VATAG integrates AI for autonomous battlefield operations
GOVERNMENT & DIGITAL SERVICES
Diia.AI Processes 310,000 Daily Requests While Developing National LLM
Ukraine's AI assistant Diia.AI handles approximately 310,000 requests daily, double initial projections, while preparing for mobile deployment to 22 million users. The Ministry of Digital Transformation coordinates development of a national Ukrainian LLM through partnership with Kyivstar, involving 10 engineers with infrastructure costs projected at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The service currently operates on Google's Gemini but plans migration to the domestic model, which will use open-source architecture with pre-training on large Ukrainian language datasets.
AI Automation Reduces Government Hiring Process by 45%
The Ministry of Digital Transformation's WINWIN AI Center of Excellence automated HR processes from job posting to offer decisions, reducing hiring time by over 10 hours per vacancy. Legal document analysis now completes within 72 hours compared to 3-10 days previously, with approximately 75% of documents receiving initial AI analysis. The 15-person team also handles voice interface development supporting Ukrainian language and surzhyk dialect.
DEFENSE & INTELLIGENCE
Ukraine Leverages 50,000+ Monthly Combat Video Streams for AI Training
Deputy Defense Minister Yurii Myronenko revealed that fixed-wing drones operating on front lines generate over 50,000 monthly video streams for AI-powered target identification. Ukraine has compiled a unique verified combat dataset updated daily with thousands of videos from multiple sources, with annotation handled by specialist teams. The ministry is discussing potential access for foreign companies to train their proprietary models on this battlefield data.
Defense Startup Swarmer Raises $15M for Drone Swarm AI Technology
Ukrainian defense startup Swarmer secured $15 million from US investors including Broadband Capital Investments, R-G.AI, D3 Ventures, Green Flag Ventures, Radius Capital, and Network VC. The company specializes in AI solutions for autonomous drone coordination and swarm operations, with field testing already showing positive operator feedback. The Styx system enables single-operator control of multiple reconnaissance and strike drones through autonomous decision-making within pre-programmed rules of engagement.
Heavy Ground Robot VATAG Integrates AI for Battlefield Autonomy
The VATAG heavy uncrewed ground vehicle showcased at Brave1 Defense Tech Valley 2025 features integrated AI systems and machine learning for autonomous navigation and mission management. The platform carries over 2 tons of payload using hybrid power systems enabling silent electric operation and serving as mobile power sources for units. The system includes GPS-independent navigation with automatic route selection, obstacle avoidance, and convoy mode capabilities.