Kyiv is deploying experimental ground robots equipped with machine guns on the front lines against Russian forces, a move that could save the lives of Ukrainian fighters with the war showing no indication of coming to an end.
Images and footage circulating in recent weeks appear to show a variety of Ukrainian ground-based drones, ranging from robots tasked with dangerous demining efforts to combat robots wading into firefights.
Ukraine has invested heavily in unmanned technology, with its waterborne and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) frequently hitting the headlines as they target Russian assets in the Black Sea or make their way over the border into Russian territory. Ukrainian uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) attract less attention, but Kyiv is nonetheless forging ahead with their development.
In mid-September 2023, Ukraine’s drone tsar and digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said Ukraine was testing its “Ironclad” unmanned robot in combat missions on the frontlines.
Mykhailo Fedorov/ Facebook
It is equipped with a machine gun, or robotic combat turret, and is designed to help assault enemy positions, conduct reconnaissance missions and provide fire support, Fedorov said. It can reportedly travel at a speed of up to 12 miles per hour.
It is remotely controlled from a safe location, protecting the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, Fedorov said. The Ukrainian minister had previously said in late August that testing was underway on 25 Ukrainian-made combat robots of different types, including kamikaze robots.
Both Russia and Ukraine are developing UGVs intended to “replace human soldiers in the most dangerous and casualty-intensive storming raids,” said Samuel Bendett, of the Center for Naval Analyses.
We are currently seeing experimental UGV models as Kyiv prepares for mass-manufacturing of the ground drones, Bendett told Newsweek.
Ukraine unveiled plans for its “Army of Robots” last year, a ground-based counterpart to the country’s “Army of Drones” sustaining Ukraine’s extensive aerial activity.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s ground forces said its 5th Separate Assault Brigade was using a ground-based combat drone to target Russian positions.
“The fantastic future has already arrived,” the Ukrainian military added. Sharing the same clip of the ground combat drone, Ukraine’s defense ministry said it was now in operation with the brigade.
Russia has also developed robots that it has designated for use in Ukraine, including the AI-enabled “Marker” combat robot.
“We are witnessing a similar pattern on both sides when it comes to UGV developments,” Bendett argued. “The vehicles tend to be on the smaller side, to minimize the chances of getting discovered by the ever-present aerial drones,” he said, adding they are often rudimentary and cheap.
“The overall goal is to perform simple missions like advancing on the adversary position, forcing the enemy to shoot it and therefore reveal his position for subsequent strikes by ground or aerial systems,” Bendett said.
Mounting a machine gun on this type of ground drone is a “relatively simple” process, he suggested, and many will work in tandem with airborne drones to guide UGVs to possible striking positions.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian military and Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.