Codified but Not Procured: Council of Defence Industry Initiates Dialogue on UGV Procurement Issues

The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry (UCDI) hosted a strategic meeting dedicated to one of the most pressing issues in the defence industry: the situation where unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have already been codified but have yet to be delivered to the troops.

The meeting was attended by representatives of UGV manufacturers, state buyers, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, relevant structures of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff, as well as specific combat units. This diverse range of participants made it possible, for the first time, to address most of the core issues—from the lack of direct budget instruments for UGV procurement to unregulated technical standards and the need for unification.

The participants raised and discussed issues regarding:

— the need to simplify requirements for Technical Specifications (TS) under martial law;

— the creation of experience-sharing centres between units;

— mechanisms for equipment repair and modernisation;

— the involvement of combat brigades in codification and performance evaluation processes;

— the possibility of creating working groups in key areas—from standards to repair and modernisation.

The participants agreed on the main point: robots are already changing logistics, fire support, and tactical decisions on the battlefield. However, without the simplification of procedures, budget planning, and institutionalised cooperation, their potential will remain unrealised.

Ihor Fedirko, CEO of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry:

"We see that the market is ready. The military is interested. The technologies are proven. What is blocking progress are systemic gaps. This meeting is the first step toward a joint roadmap of solutions that will allow UGVs to become a norm in combat units, rather than an exception."

Maksym Vasylchenko, representative of the Ukrainian Robotic Forces:

"UGVs on the front line are no longer a concept, but a fully functional tool. However, we face a situation where the state formally recognises the capability of a development but does not create mechanisms for its systemic deployment. It is critically important for us to see and understand the procedure step by step. And even more important is to receive real feedback."

The representative of the Ukrainian Robotic Forces added that, according to their data alone, at least 8 manufacturers of unmanned ground vehicles already have codified products but still do not have a single contract.

One of the key arguments of the discussion: there is already a combat battalion that has completely replaced its logistics with UGVs—and this is real proof of how modern warfare is changing. However, scaling such solutions is only possible under effective regulation.

Based on the results of the meeting, the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, together with the Ukrainian Robotic Forces, is taking charge of coordinating further actions—from consolidating technical proposals to establishing communication with relevant structures. The next step is to ensure that promising developments reach the front line as quickly as possible.