The American robotics company Foundation Future Industries, which is associated with the family of US President Donald Trump, plans to send new Phantom 2 humanoid robots to Ukraine this year for testing in combat conditions after testing the previous model. CNBC reported this on May 30.
In 2026, the company already sent two robots of the Phantom MK-1 model to Ukraine for a pilot demonstration. The company called it “the first known deployment of humanoid robots in a combat zone.” The tests, which, according to the publication, are supported by the US government and conducted jointly with the Ukrainian military, focus on logistics in dangerous areas.
The Foundation's CEO said tests in Ukraine have already shown the robots' potential for picking and delivering cargo, which often puts military personnel at risk. At the same time, the previous model has significant limitations: the robots carry only about 20 kg of load, do not have sufficient protection from water and do not have sufficient battery autonomy for large-scale use.
This year the company plans to send to Ukraine an improved Phantom 2 model, which, according to the head, will have “superhuman abilities” and twice the carrying capacity. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine refused to comment on this topic to journalists, and the US Department of Defense did not respond to the publication’s request.
The Foundation also plans to use Ukrainian testing for future cooperation with the US military. According to media reports, the startup has already received $24 million in government research contracts to test the capabilities of robots in the areas of inspection, logistics and weapons work for the US Army, Navy and Air Force.
Eric Trump, the son of the US President, recently joined the company as chief strategy advisor. According to CNBC, this drew criticism from US Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, who called the company's government contracts “corruption in plain sight.” The Foundation said Trump Jr. was an investor before he became an adviser.
