Drone advances in Ukraine have accelerated a long-anticipated technology trend that could soon bring the world’s first fully autonomous fighting robots to the battlefield, inaugurating a new age of warfare.

Fully-autonomous robots that kill without a human in the loop have been around for quite a while. They just aren't as pervasive or visible as they could be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS

The Phalanx CIWS (SEE-wiz) is an automated gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats.

The only inputs required for operation are 440 V AC three-phase electric power at 60 Hz and water (for electronics cooling). 

That's 1980.

I think that the Soviet analog also can operate without a human in the loop:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-630

The gun mount is fully automated, and can also be remotely controlled by an operator from either the control console or via a remotely mounted gunsight.

If so, that's 1976.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIM-104_Patriot

Patriot was one of the first tactical systems in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to employ lethal autonomy in combat. 

That's 1981.