Could Killer Army Robots Soon Be Coming to Ukraine? A remote-controlled fighting vehicle could be a good advancement, but must avoid being a gimmicky flash in the pan. Here's What You Need to Know: Drones paradoxically make it easier for societies to wage perpetual wars. For several years, Ukrainian troops have been locked in a “frozen conflict” with Russian-backed separatists for control of the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine. The maneuver warfare and urban/airport siege phase of the conflict ended in 2015. Now the opposing forces glare at each other across no man’s land from fortified outposts and periodically lash out with sniper fire, artillery and mortar barrages, or even precision-attacks delivered by anti-tank missiles.