Adapting Under Fire: Ukraine's Race to Reinvent Modern Defense

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has been forced to adapt its military at every level—and to do it fast, under fire, and at scale. From evolving air defense doctrine and battlefield training to rapid prototyping of new drone and counter-drone systems, Ukraine’s defense ecosystem has transformed in real time. The hard-won experience of Ukrainian military operators and defense tech innovators holds urgent lessons for Western partners grappling with the realities of modern warfare.

On April 3, 2026, the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center will host active-duty air defense operators from the Ukrainian army and air force, for a conversation with Wadhwani AI Center fellow Kateryna Bondar.

Speakers will trace how Ukraine’s military has adapted across three interconnected fronts: air defense, training, and technological development. They will discuss how the drone and missile threat has evolved since 2022—from the tactics Russia uses with Shahed-type UAVs to the challenge of defending cities near the frontline versus large urban centers deep in the rear. The conversation will explore how frontline operators feed battlefield insights back to engineers, how R&D embedded within military units is reshaping Ukraine’s broader defense industry, and how the training pipeline for air defense operators has been rebuilt from the ground up. The speakers will also reflect on the growing role of software, automation, and AI in counter-UAS operations, and share what they believe Western militaries most urgently need to understand about modern drone warfare.

This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.