Mariia Berlinska, head of the Victory Drones project and a civic activist, participated in the panel discussion “Military Resilience and 21st Century Tactics” at the conference “EU. But There Is One Twist,” organized by the NGO Vox Ukraine. She emphasized the critical importance of technological militarization in Ukrainian society, the need for civilian engagement in defense initiatives, and the vital role of the information front in modern warfare.
Special thanks to Oleh Ivanov, an analyst at Vox Ukraine, for preparing this article based on Mariia Berlinska’s remarks.
The event was organized by Vox Ukraine with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) on May 23, 2025. A recording of the conference is available at the link.
Ukraine Cannot Rely Solely on Its Allies
Mariia Berlinska: “…we want to live, and our enemy wants us dead. There’s not much room for compromise here. And technology is the only thing that has saved our lives. We gave up our nukes. We handed over our strategic bombers. We transferred our missiles to Russia and allowed the Black Sea Fleet to remain [in Crimea]. What is left to protect us? Only technology.”
In a situation shaped by decisions made in the 1990s, when Ukraine gave up its strategic bombers, missiles, and nuclear arsenal to Russia, the country now faces an enemy determined to destroy it.
Ukrainian drones, electronic warfare systems, and autonomous technologies are essential assets that enable Ukraine to hold the enemy at a distance and compensate for limited resources. But 21st-century warfare is a nonstop race of innovation — every technology quickly meets a countermeasure. For example, Ukrainian drones must constantly switch frequencies to avoid being jammed by Russian EW systems.
Therefore, not only the state but the entire society must invest into the army. “If we think we can just post ‘We believe in the Armed Forces’ icons on social media and stay out [of the fight], or donate a hryvnia from our salary and expect victory — that’s a deeply infantile position.”
Technological Militarization of Society
“We need to understand: a war of this scale is won not just by the military but by the entire nation.” The army is made of people — just like any other Ukrainians, only in uniform. If we want our children not to fight in future wars, we must start preparing them now to understand robotic, high-tech warfare — starting from school. Currently, high school students in Ukraine can study drones in their “Defense of Ukraine” classes, but that is not enough. “Our survival depends on all of us engaging in technological defense. We need to build a technological shield.”
The Victory Drones project has trained over 150,000 military members to operate drones, robots, and electronic warfare systems and to understand the basics of cybersecurity and software. But civilians must learn too. Free technology training should be available to everyone — from IT professionals to rural villagers and even older women who are already helping to assemble drones. “This is our chance to survive as a nation.”
Information as a Weapon: Another Frontline
The fight on the information front is critically important. Ukrainians have a unique advantage because they speak Russian and understand the enemy’s mindset — their memes, narratives, and historical symbols. This gives Ukraine a real chance to influence public opinion inside Russia.
“We can’t reprogram North Korea — we don’t speak their language. We can’t break through the Chinese firewall. But we can work with Russians because we understand them,” says Mariia Berlinska.
Information operations take years. And we should not expect the state to carry this burden alone. It requires tens or even hundreds of thousands of people deliberately working within the Russian information space — undermining Kremlin narratives and showing people the reality their regime conceals. Mariia explains: “We need to impose reality on them — show them what’s really happening. That they are being robbed. That a handful of Kremlin elites have stolen the natural wealth of one of the richest countries in the world.” She also stresses the need to challenge and reshape identity: “You’re not Russian — you’re a Buryat who came back without legs. You’re the mother of a Muslim boy who returned in a zinc coffin while FSB officials’ kids drive G-Wagons around Red Square. You’re not Russian — you’re Yakut, you’re Orthodox, you’re Jewish, etc.”
The Power of Collective Involvement
Mariia Berlinska stressed that the time for illusions is over. Victory is impossible if society continues to rely solely on the military — or on help from international partners. If we want to survive, we must become part of our own technological defense: learn, understand, and get involved.
This is not just about drones. People can contribute in many areas — cybersecurity, information-related work, management, advocacy, and public outreach. There is work for everyone, even those who see themselves as “humanities types.”
Photo by Kateryna Lashchykova
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The author doesn`t work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations
