Harnessing Human Ingenuity is the Ultimate Key to Ukraine’s Success
It’s time to talk about Ukraine’s tech wizardry and how they have created a culture of world-class tinkerers and builders.
I’ve always been fascinated by humans’ ability to “out-think” a problem.
When I deployed to the Middle East, I took two books: A Tom Clancy novel (Clear and Present Danger, I think) and a compilation of works by Edgar Allan Poe.
Somewhere buried in the worn, yellow pages of the Poe book there’s a heavily read passage, marked by a dog ear: “It may well be doubted whether human ingenuity can construct an enigma…which human ingenuity may not, by proper application, resolve.”
In other words, there is no problem created by humans that cannot be solved by humans.
If you look it up, you'll find that ingenuity is all about being clever, original, and inventive. But dig a little deeper, and the word itself has some fascinating origins.
The French used it to describe something "inborn" or "freeborn," while the Latin roots connect it to "the mind" and "intellect."
And here's the kicker: it's also linked to the Latin verb for "to engineer." So, at its core, ingenuity is not just about being smart—it’s about designing, crafting, and problem-solving with a touch of brilliance.
Many times, what seemed like a lightning-fast triumph of human ingenuity was based on decades of curiosity-driven research – the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 are one example.
The speed with which we designed Covid vaccines was certainly a modern-day showcase of human brilliance but were built on years of painstaking research into how genes encoded by DNA are transcribed into snippets of RNA that tell cells what proteins to assemble.
Human ingenuity is the process by which we, as a society, brainstorm, develop, and experiment with original ideas to tackle problems and seek answers.
It's the driving force behind how we innovate and reshape the world around us. It also involves reflecting on the ripple effects of our actions, ensuring that the choices we make now shape a better future for the generations to come.
Indeed, I believe that we are driven by some intrinsic, internal need to use our creativity to help future generations – or improve our current situations.
But while, anthropologically, most people have bestowed upon them some basic capability for ingenuity, I would argue that some environments are better suited to nurturing this intrinsic human quality than others.
For Ukraine, two in particular stand out to me: Survival (or some existential challenge that must be overcome) and a culture that rewards innovation.
Both exist right now in Ukraine, and it is why many countries are eyeing future investment in its burgeoning weapons industry.
In 2021, the year before Russia’s large-scale invasion, Ukraine's defense spending was $4.7 billion compared to Russia’s $45.8 billion. Russia outnumbered Ukraine in personnel, aircraft, armored vehicles, maritime vessels, and almost every aspect of traditional warfare.
Commercial drones as weapons of war are perhaps the best example of Ukrainian ingenuity.
With 800 miles of frontline to defend, Ukraine needed fast, flexible eyes in the sky and some serious firepower.
Enter the commercial drone—cheap, effective, and practically made for modern warfare. While military drones have been around since the Vietnam War, Ukraine has taken the use of off-the-shelf models to a whole new level.
These drones, which can be bought online, are now a vital tool for Ukraine in everything from reconnaissance to guiding artillery, and even for dropping munitions directly on enemy targets.
The DJI Mavic, a Chinese-made drone that costs around $2,000, is the most popular, with thousands in service.
Ukraine has ramped up drone use through two major programs: the Army of Drones initiative and a fast-track system for importing drones.
The Army of Drones is essentially crowdfunding for the battlefield, where anyone can chip in cash or donate their own drones. In its first three months, this program brought in 1,400 drones and trained hundreds of pilots.
Drone warfare is now fully integrated into Ukraine’s counteroffensive, with operators working just a kilometer from the front lines, feeding critical intel to ground forces.
It’s not just ground warfare, either—Ukraine has been using small unmanned systems (sUAS) to directly target Moscow in long-range strikes.
Ukraine's DIY Navy, autonomous maritime drones, are another example.
Russia’s traditional naval superiority was a serious headache for Ukraine early in the war.
With naval blockades and ship attacks, Russia was dominating the Black Sea. Then came April 2022, when Ukraine scored a major win by sinking Russia's prized flagship, the Moskva, with the homegrown R-360 Neptune cruise missile.
But when Russian ships started staying farther from the Ukrainian coast, Ukraine had to get creative.
And creative they got. Ukraine started using surface and subsurface drones to attack Russian ships.
Some models are built around the water jets of Sea-Doo jet skis, packed with explosives and communication equipment, and all for a fraction of the cost—just $250,000. In October 2022, a fleet of these homemade drones attacked Russian ships in Sevastopol, damaging several vessels.
Of course, Russia’s not sitting idly by—aircraft can spot these surface drones. But Ukraine is already developing its own underwater drones (UUVs). One standout is the Tolka TLK-150, Ukraine’s first self-developed UUV, unveiled by Brave1, a public-private defense venture.
At eight feet long, it’s tough to detect and cheap to produce, making it a real game-changer.
On the fundraising front, Ukrainians are nothing if not resourceful. In a clever twist, donors can even get a naval drone named after them—a bit of immortality for those willing to chip in.
Starlink: Ukraine's Secret Weapon
When Russian hackers took down Ukraine’s satellite communications early in the war, the response was immediate: switch to SpaceX’s Starlink system.
Starlink’s thousands of low-orbit satellites provided a lifeline to both military and civilian users, ensuring the internet stayed online when traditional networks were toast. With its portability, resilience, and relatively low cost, Starlink became indispensable to the Ukrainian defense effort.
However, relying on a commercial service does come with risks, such as, [ahem] Elon Musk.
At times, Musk has hinted he might pull the plug on free access, and Starlink executives have publicly stated they want to limit the system's use for offensive military operations.
Fortunately, Pentagon funding has since ensured Starlink remains operational, making it crucial not only for internet access but also for guiding drones, managing AI systems, and even coordinating social media campaigns.
Increasing use of AI on the Battlefield is also a Ukrainian hallmark.
In a war where Ukraine is often outnumbered, artificial intelligence (AI) is leveling the playing field. AI is proving vital for everything from analyzing drone footage to identifying targeting solutions.
Palantir, a US-based AI platform, is helping Ukraine integrate data on weapon ranges and troop movements to optimize strikes.
Even more impressively, AI is speeding up the process of intercepting and analyzing Russian communications.
Traditional surveillance requires teams of humans to decode intercepted signals—painstaking work that takes time. AI, however, can sift through Russian radio chatter and pinpoint actionable intelligence in real time.
It’s not just for spying either; Ukraine’s been using AI-driven facial recognition software to vet individuals at checkpoints and identify fallen soldiers.
These examples just scratch the surface.
Ukraine has retrofitted Western munitions onto both Soviet-era aircraft and SAM launchers to greatly modernize some of its legacy weapon systems.
Their dragon drone, a consumer drone fitted with thermite, is something I would have never thought about in a million years.
Ukraine is also expanding systems like Prozorro that run on open-source code and remove the opportunity for corruption in public procurement; digitizing communication between citizens and government to address wartime necessities with the government’s Diia app; and building a network of banking services that are resilient to electricity and internet disruptions.
Thanks to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine has installed enough onshore wind power in the southern region of Mykolaiv to power 200,000 homes.
By decentralizing power stations and installing renewable energy capacity, Ukraine is creating dispersed, resilient, and sustainable energy systems that will be the foundation for a post-war Ukraine.
There are more examples of Ukraine’s incredible ingenuity, but it’s important to understand why its people can innovate so easily.
Of course, Ukraine has a large, well-educated labor force at home and a diaspora abroad with ties across Europe and beyond.
But the threat from Russia, combined with a culture of encouraging innovation has allowed the country to move extremely quickly from concept to prototyping a new idea.
Doctrine is great until it becomes dogma – understanding this fact, Ukraine’s soldiers take the spirit of ingenuity and apply it to battlefield maneuver as well.
The Soviet way of making war simply didn’t work well for Ukraine, so they combined it with some NATO doctrine, and Western weapon systems, added a dash of consumer equipment, and a heavy dose of defiance.
Ingenuity has become, perhaps, Ukraine’s greatest strategic asset in their war for survival.
The United States military could learn a thing or two from this culture of innovation.
I do not doubt that, when this war is over, Ukrainian commanders will be giving lectures at West Point about the power of ingenuity on the battlefield - and society in general.
Glory to Ukraine.
Glory to the heroes.
Слава Україні!
"Ingenuity has become, perhaps, Ukraine’s greatest strategic asset in their war for survival." They are an astonishing people, and will never give up. We'll be learning from them for many years to come once they get out from under Russia's choke, and flourish.
What a terrific, fact-driven summary of extraordinary achievement. Much appreciated!