Ukraine has unveiled its newest weapon: remote-controlled ground robots, which are changing the way the war against Russia is waged. These battery-powered unmanned vehicles come in a variety of forms, some with tracks like small tanks, others with wheels and antennas, and some even carry anti-tank mines. Since the spring of 2024, their use has increased significantly. “This is the face of modern warfare. Armies everywhere will have to be robotized,” said Lieutenant Viktor Pavlov of the 3rd Corps of the Ukrainian army, quoted by The Guardian.
After five years of Russian occupation, Europe’s biggest conflict since 1945 has become a technological race: expensive tanks have been replaced by cheap but deadly drones and robots. Ukraine has created a unique ecosystem where engineers design, soldiers provide immediate feedback, and manufacturers ramp up supplies.
Ground robots now cover 90% of the Ukrainian army’s logistics, transporting food, ammunition, construction materials and evacuating the wounded. They are smaller and less visible than armored vehicles, which are often targeted by Russian drones. In January, the Ukrainian army carried out a record 7 operations with these vehicles. The robots are increasingly taking on a combat role, equipped with machine guns and remote-controlled grenade launchers. A suicide robot carrying 200 kg of explosives managed to destroy a school building used by Russian troops.
“The front is not like Star Wars with lasers, but like the Terminator. A ground robot comes to your position and there is nothing you can do,” said a drone operator from the 25th Airborne Brigade. In addition to logistics, the robots also perform engineering tasks: laying and removing mines, installing barbed wire, and towing damaged vehicles. Pavlov admitted that they lose about three robots a day to Russian air strikes, but called it “a small price” compared to the lives of soldiers saved.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov praised the rapid expansion of remote-controlled operations, saying that robots now regularly enter high-risk areas to bring in ammunition and evacuate the wounded. Ukraine has also created the “KillHouse” academy for training robot pilots, where former video game players quickly adapt to the technology and are often more effective than regular soldiers. Russia also uses ground systems, such as the electric “Courier” vehicle that transports cargo and conducts electronic warfare. However, according to Pavlov, Ukraine has a lead in ground robot technology and aims to further expand it.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed that, despite Russia’s heavy losses, Putin has not won the war. The commander of the 3rd Corps, Andriy Biletsky, predicts that ground robotic systems will bring a “new revolution” to the battlefield, replacing a large part of soldiers in both logistics and combat.