Ukraine has moved to expand its supply of AI-powered drones through a new agreement with US firm Swift Beat. The deal, finalized in Denmark, brings together President Volodymyr Zelensky and Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and now head of Swift Beat, around a large-scale defense technology push.
The agreement centers on hundreds of thousands of AI-controlled drones to be delivered to Ukraine at cost by 2025. More deliveries are expected to follow in 2026.
What the Swift Beat agreement covers
The deal is aimed at a major increase in production, not a small pilot or limited procurement. Its central commitment is the delivery of hundreds of thousands of AI-controlled drones to Ukraine at cost by 2025.
That scale matters because the agreement is not framed around a single drone type. Swift Beat is developing several systems, including interceptor drones for Russian threats, reconnaissance models, and medium-weight combat drones.
The company is also working on AI-driven tools beyond drones. The source identifies automated turrets and surveillance platforms as part of Swift Beat’s development work.
Taken together, the agreement points to a broader AI defense technology package. Drones are the most visible part of the plan, but the work also includes systems designed to observe, intercept, and support combat roles.
Why AI is central to the deal
The agreement is specifically about AI-powered and AI-controlled drones. That distinction is important because the systems are not described merely as conventional drones with improved hardware. Artificial intelligence is presented as part of how the equipment is controlled and used.
Swift Beat’s development priorities also show the range of roles being connected to AI. Interceptor drones are intended for Russian threats. Reconnaissance models focus on gathering information. Medium-weight combat drones point to another category of military use.
The AI-driven tools named in the source, including automated turrets and surveillance platforms, extend the same logic into fixed or supporting systems. The result is a program that treats AI as part of a wider defense stack, not only as a feature inside flying devices.
Eric Schmidt’s role also gives the agreement a clear technology-policy dimension. The source describes Schmidt as a vocal advocate for the strategic use of artificial intelligence and says he has long pushed for deploying cutting-edge AI in defense and security.
Testing in Ukraine connects design to use
Testing happens in Ukraine with teams from both sides. That means the development process is tied directly to the country receiving the systems, rather than being described only as a remote production effort.
This detail is central to understanding the agreement. Swift Beat is not only supplying finished equipment under the deal. Its teams are involved in testing alongside Ukrainian teams, according to the source.
For AI-controlled drones and AI-driven surveillance platforms, testing is a key part of turning a development program into working systems. The source does not provide technical test results, performance data, or deployment outcomes, so those details should not be assumed. What is clear is that Ukraine is a testing location and that both sides are involved.
The arrangement also shows how the agreement links production, development, and evaluation. The planned deliveries by 2025 and additional deliveries in 2026 sit alongside ongoing work on multiple drone categories and related AI tools.
What this signals about modern conflict
The source frames Schmidt’s position around the idea that artificial intelligence is critical for maintaining an edge in modern conflict. The Swift Beat agreement fits that view because it places AI-enabled systems at the center of a large delivery plan for Ukraine.
The systems named in the agreement cover several defense functions:
- AI-controlled drones delivered to Ukraine at cost by 2025
- Interceptor drones for Russian threats
- Reconnaissance models
- Medium-weight combat drones
- Automated turrets
- Surveillance platforms
That list shows why the deal is broader than a single procurement announcement. It involves aerial systems, observation tools, and automated equipment, all connected by the strategic use of artificial intelligence.
The agreement also places a major private technology figure in a direct role. Eric Schmidt is not only the former Google CEO named in the signing; he is now head of Swift Beat. His participation links the deal to a wider argument about how advanced AI should be used in defense and security.
The key takeaway
Ukraine’s agreement with Swift Beat is a large-scale AI drone production and delivery plan. It was finalized in Denmark, attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Eric Schmidt, and is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of AI-controlled drones to Ukraine at cost by 2025.
More deliveries are set to follow in 2026. Alongside the delivery plan, Swift Beat is developing interceptor drones, reconnaissance models, medium-weight combat drones, automated turrets, and surveillance platforms, with testing taking place in Ukraine by teams from both sides.
The source does not provide technical specifications or deployment results. But it does make clear that the agreement puts AI-powered defense systems, large-scale drone production, and joint testing in Ukraine at the center of the next phase of Swift Beat’s work with Ukraine.