SAN FRANCISCO — Foundation Future Industries deployed two of its Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine for a pilot demonstration, marking the first known use of such robots in a combat theater. The San Francisco-based robotics company developed the units for dual-use applications in heavy industrial environments and military operations.

The tests, conducted with Ukrainian officials and backed by the U.S. government, focused on logistics tasks in hazardous areas. The Phantom MK-1 units can carry a payload of about 44 pounds but lack waterproofing and sufficient battery life for large-scale deployment. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine declined to comment on the tests, and the U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to an inquiry about the company’s activities.

“I'm convinced the technology is reaching a level where it can replace jobs that are dangerous for humans to perform, and if you can do that, it's the highest net good you can create out of all applications of robotics,” said Sankaet Pathak, CEO of Foundation Future Industries.

Foundation Future Industries has received $24 million in U.S. government research contracts for feasibility testing across the Army, Navy, and Air Force in areas including inspection, logistics, and weapons handling. Pathak aims to deploy the company’s technology with the U.S. military and, if needed, on front lines of conflicts within the next 12 to 18 months. He also plans to send upgraded Phantom 2 robots to Ukraine later this year, which he says will have double the payload capacity and “superhuman abilities.”

“The goal is to deliver 'the best robots we can build' to the U.S. military — better than anything China has,” Pathak said.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the company’s government contracts, calling them “corruption in plain sight.” Foundation Future Industries has ties to the Trump family. The war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, has increasingly incorporated ground robots for supply delivery and AI-augmented drones for reconnaissance and precision strikes.