Natalia Kushnerska, former head of Brave1 defence tech cluster, joins Roboneers as Chief Operational Officer

Natalia Kushnerska, who stepped down as CEO of the Brave1 defence tech cluster in June 2025, has joined the Roboneers — a Ukrainian company developing defence robotics systems. She has taken on the role of Chief Operational Officer (COO).

Kushnerska announced her new position on LinkedIn. As COO of Roboneers, she plans to help Ukraine become a leading global hub for defence technology and to scale battlefield-proven robotic systems. “I believe that my experience building systems at the national level, combined with the Roboneers team’s exceptional technical and manufacturing capabilities, can help make autonomy a battlefield standard,” she wrote.

Roboneers was founded in 2014 through the merger of four teams of engineers, electronics specialists, former military personnel, and IT professionals. The company develops UAVs, remote-controlled weapon stations, software and situational awareness tools, as well as remotely operated platforms. Its portfolio includes ground robotic systems Ironclad and Camel, the Shablya combat module, and the Outpost situational awareness system.

Kushnerska led Brave1 from the cluster’s inception, shaping it into the main platform for defence startups seeking grants, partners, and guidance on government contracts. Under her leadership, Brave1 onboarded 1,500 defence tech companies with over 3,500 developments. The cluster also awarded more than 470 grants worth a total of UAH 1.3 billion. In June 2025, Viktor Rudenko succeeded Kushnerska as CEO of Brave1.