Russian Defense Minister Says Robots, AI Key to Defeating West

Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said Monday that developing artificial intelligence, robots and drones is crucial for ensuring Moscow’s victory in its ongoing confrontation with the West.
Referring to the invasion of Ukraine as an “armed confrontation between Russia and the collective West,” Belousov outlined four “simultaneous conditions for success in modern military conflicts.”
In addition to advanced weaponry and personnel training, Belousov emphasized the importance of an effective system of management that leverages “an advanced technological framework, including artificial intelligence,” as well as “new tactical methods of warfare” that incorporate drones and robotic systems.
“Only this comprehensive approach provides a full advantage over the enemy,” Belousov said during the opening of Russia’s flagship military forum, known as Army-2024.
He also reiterated the Kremlin’s stance that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 in response to the United States and its allies’ “desire to maintain their dominance and prevent the construction of a new multipolar and equitable world order.”
Army-2024, Russia’s largest military forum, takes place annually at a military-themed park outside Moscow.
Belousov’s predecessor, Sergei Shoigu, now the head of Russia’s Security Council, used last year’s forum to highlight Russia’s military superiority over Ukraine and its Western allies.
Shoigu was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin this past May.
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