Advanced Technologies and Battlefield Transformation: A Legal and Ethical Reading of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
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Abstract
Technological advancement is transforming the nature of contemporary armed conflicts. The war between Russia and Ukraine has highlighted the increasingly critical role of advanced technologies—such as artificial intelligence, cyber systems and autonomous weapons on the battlefield. This integration raises legal and ethical challenges within the framework of International Humanitarian Law, requiring an examination of its application and scope. This article first reviews the IHL regulatory frameworks applicable to the use of emerging technologies. It then identifies ethical dilemmas arising from drone attacks, digital sabotage operations and algorithmic disinformation practices. The methodology employed consists of a qualitative documentary approach that integrates sources from 2017 to 2025, including United Nations resolutions, reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNESCO technical documents and analyses from specialized research centers. The corpus is organized into three analytical dimensions: IHL regulation, relevant technological characteristics and political-legal impacts. Through a thematic comparative method, normative standards are cross-referenced with case studies involving kamikaze drones, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and artificial-intelligence-based facial recognition in military operations. The conclusions reveal regulatory gaps regarding meaningful human control, responsibility attribution, algorithmic transparency and the protection of civilian assets. The analysis shows that the conflict exposes substantive limitations within the current international framework and underscores the need to strengthen these mechanisms to address the challenges posed by disruptive military technologies.