Ukraine’s Drone Alliance Needs Scientific Expertise

Kseniia Smyrnova, President of the Ukrainian Association of European Law and former Vice-Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, says research centres should join the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance as it takes practical shape. Ukrainian scientists contribute to a developing security architecture, she said, but research centres aren't yet included in the alliance’s remit.

“Ukrainian science is an integral part of our national security architecture. It is a priority, and all our efforts are directed towards it,” Smyrnova said. She described security research across the humanities and natural sciences, including efforts to combat disinformation, analyse geopolitical shifts and forecast developments.

Research and the drone ecosystem

Natural sciences researchers are developing new defence systems and technologies using artificial intelligence in drone and counter-drone systems, Smyrnova said. “This is one of Ukraine's key strengths,” she said.

The alliance is beginning to take practical shape, but its current remit leaves out research centres. Smyrnova said the next task is to strengthen the alliance by bringing in scientific expertise and analysis. “It really is an entire ecosystem,” she said.

She pointed to research into the effects of electronic warfare systems on the human body, alongside work on innovations in early warning of drone attack. Smyrnova said those technologies should provide the basis for specific technological products.

Ukrainian universities’ future will involve combining education, science and industry, she said, and Ukrainian scientists have an opportunity to put that concept into practice. “Our European partners understand how important it is to help us in this area, and we continue to advocate for Ukraine's interests,” she said.

Ukrainian researchers’ role

Researchers must take part whenever people conduct work about Ukraine or apply its findings, Smyrnova said. One of her key messages, she said, is: “‘No research about Ukraine without Ukrainian researchers’ – a reworking of President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement, ‘No negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine’.”

Smyrnova said she is convinced Ukrainian science “will make the EU stronger.” She linked that claim to Ukrainian researchers’ involvement in studies about Ukraine and to the use of those findings, rather than treating their participation as separate from the work itself.

Universities also need established project teams and leadership, Smyrnova said. Researchers working in research and development need dedicated teams to help with grant applications and project management. Ukrainian universities have experience setting up coordination centres and grant support services.

“Universities need to cut bureaucratic red tape to encourage researchers to participate more actively in international funding competitions,” Smyrnova said. Her comments outlined practical requirements alongside a proposed research role in the drone alliance: project support, grant coordination and a place for scientific expertise in the partnership.

Funding and the costs of war

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine allocated UAH 3 billion for a new performance-based basic funding model for scientists. It also allocated another UAH 1 billion to establish defence research centres at leading universities.

The report also referenced “Unissued Diplomas,” an exhibition on Ukrainian students killed in war, presented at a Prague Conference. The exhibition focused on students killed in war; the report gave no further figure or names of those depicted.