Moderator Francis Dearnley, executive editor at The Telegraph and host of the podcast Ukraine: The Latest, leads discussion during the "Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance" panel with Eric Hauff, senior director of the International Business for Eastern Europe and NATO, ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), Aviation and Security Division at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Mr. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and Founder of TheFourthLaw, Mr. Sebastian Kuhl, Director Sales Land at Helsing, and Mr. Oleksandr Kubrakov, Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine and co-founder of We Build Ukraine, at the LANDEURO conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, on July 17, 2025.

They explore how American and European industrial imagination can be leveraged to develop cost-effective, mass-produced platforms, foster greater collaboration and accelerate innovation across the defense ecosystem.

Moderator Francis Dearnley, executive editor at The Telegraph and host of the podcast Ukraine: The Latest, leads discussion during the "Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance" panel with Eric Hauff, senior director of the International Business for Eastern Europe and NATO, ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), Aviation and Security Division at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Mr. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and Founder of TheFourthLaw, Mr. Sebastian Kuhl, Director Sales Land at Helsing, and Mr. Oleksandr Kubrakov, Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine and co-founder of We Build Ukraine, at the LANDEURO conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, on July 17, 2025.

They explore how American and European industrial imagination can be leveraged to develop cost-effective, mass-produced platforms, foster greater collaboration and accelerate innovation across the defense ecosystem.

WIESBADEN, Germany - At the ASUA’s inaugural LANDEURO in Wiesbaden, Germany, a key panel titled “Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance” offered a firsthand look at how Ukraine’s defense forces are reshaping the future of military conflict. The discussion centered on how wartime necessity has accelerated innovation across critical domains, particularly artificial intelligence, drone warfare, digital finance, and scalable software, with a strong emphasis on real-world application.

Much of the panel focused on the integration of AI and drone technologies. Panelists described how Ukrainian teams are rapidly prototyping and deploying first person view drones, loitering munitions, and autonomous systems. These platforms are often built using 3D-printed parts, open-source mapping tools, and commercial-grade AI capable of identifying, tracking, and striking targets, all while operating in contested electronic warfare environments.

Many customers want gimbals on drones, but we found it’s more cost-effective to use AI said Sebastian Kuhl, Director of Sales Land at Helsing.

The conversation also highlighted the critical role of digital finance in sustaining Ukraine’s defense efforts. Through decentralized funding models like crowdfunding and cryptocurrency, innovators are bypassing traditional financial bottlenecks to deliver equipment, services, and support directly to warfighters.

Moderator Francis Dearnley, executive editor at The Telegraph and host of the podcast Ukraine: The Latest, leads discussion during the "Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance" panel with Eric Hauff, senior director of the International Business for Eastern Europe and NATO, ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), Aviation and Security Division at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Mr. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and Founder of TheFourthLaw, Mr. Sebastian Kuhl, Director Sales Land at Helsing, and Mr. Oleksandr Kubrakov, Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine and co-founder of We Build Ukraine, at the LANDEURO conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, on July 17, 2025.

They explore how American and European industrial imagination can be leveraged to develop cost-effective, mass-produced platforms, foster greater collaboration and accelerate innovation across the defense ecosystem.

Moderator Francis Dearnley, executive editor at The Telegraph and host of the podcast Ukraine: The Latest, leads discussion during the "Ukrainian Innovation at the Speed of Relevance" panel with Eric Hauff, senior director of the International Business for Eastern Europe and NATO, ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), Aviation and Security Division at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Mr. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and Founder of TheFourthLaw, Mr. Sebastian Kuhl, Director Sales Land at Helsing, and Mr. Oleksandr Kubrakov, Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine and co-founder of We Build Ukraine, at the LANDEURO conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, on July 17, 2025.

They explore how American and European industrial imagination can be leveraged to develop cost-effective, mass-produced platforms, foster greater collaboration and accelerate innovation across the defense ecosystem.

Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and founder of TheFourthLaw, emphasized the advantages of scaling software over hardware, explaining how software solutions can be distributed far more rapidly and cost-effectively.

Panelists pointed to this ability to scale, both technologically and financially, as a key lesson for NATO and partner forces.

The session closed with a broader takeaway: Ukraine’s innovation culture is more than just battlefield-relevant, it offers a blueprint. Rather than waiting for perfect solutions, Ukraine has embraced a development model that is modular, fast, and user-driven.

“Massively scalable autonomy is the single most influential, impactful technology for defense of this decade,” said Azhnyuk. Still, he noted that no matter how advanced autonomous systems become, there will always be a human decision point in the loop.

As NATO looks ahead to future threats, Ukraine’s experience serves as a powerful reminder: technological superiority isn’t just about what you build, it’s about how quickly, creatively, and decisively you field it.

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