On the battlefields of Eastern Ukraine, a new kind of soldier is taking the fight to Russian forces: robots. As the war enters its fourth year, Ukraine’s Unmanned Ground Vehicles are hauling supplies, evacuating the wounded, laying mines, and opening fire with heavy machine guns and grenade launchers. From defensive strongpoints to assault support, these machines are reshaping modern warfare in real time. But can robots truly replace infantry on tomorrow’s battlefield?
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00:00On the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, Russian forces have a deadly new threat to contend with.
00:06The threat doesn't need food, water, or even oxygen, doesn't bleed when hit, doesn't sleep, and can't be intimidated or
00:13scared, and the threat grows in number every day.
00:17The threat is Ukraine's robot army, and it's hunting Russian soldiers relentlessly.
00:22As the fourth year of the war in Ukraine draws to a close, Ukraine's unmanned military systems are wreaking death
00:30and destruction on Russian forces from the air and the sea.
00:34But now, on the scorched battlefields of eastern Ukraine, unmanned ground vehicles, or UGVs, are becoming an increasingly prominent and
00:43influential component of Ukraine's military operations.
00:47So, here's how Ukraine is integrating UGVs into its military, and why it's making a decisive difference in Ukraine, and
00:56likely far beyond.
00:58Military commanders have long salvated over the prospect of having an unmanned army at their disposal.
01:04The benefits speak for themselves. Unmanned systems are an ideal solution whenever particular operations make it too inconvenient, dangerous, expensive,
01:13or impossible to use human operators.
01:16Tasks like delivery of ammunition and supplies to frontline positions under heavy fire, evacuation of the dead and wounded, reconnaissance,
01:25and mind-laying have always been extremely dangerous for humans.
01:29And that's especially true on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, where ubiquitous kamikaze drones flying overhead make any movement at
01:38all a potentially life-threatening action.
01:40For Ukraine, UGVs also present a feasible and affordable way of plugging the gaps on the front lines, caused by
01:48a serious shortage of manpower.
01:50As a recent New York Times article's headline starkly summed up,
01:54Ukraine can't defend the entire front, Russia is finding the gaps.
01:59UGVs offer Ukraine a unique way of filling the holes and giving the Russian army a new bunch of headaches
02:06to boot.
02:07Alongside prodigious use of UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles, and UUVs, unmanned underwater vehicles,
02:15both Russia and Ukraine have been experimenting with UGVs since the early stages of the war.
02:20But in Ukraine, their use really picked up after the establishment of the Unmanned Systems Forces, or USF, in February
02:282024.
02:30The USF is the world's first dedicated military branch focused exclusively on unmanned systems across air, land, and sea domains.
02:38According to their website, during January 2026 alone, the USF was responsible for hitting 27,762 targets,
02:49destroying 10,216 of them, killing 4,885 Russian troops, and wounding another 4,496.
02:59The majority of this destruction was inflicted by UAVs,
03:03but UGVs are steadily taking a growing share as the quantity and diversity of their use expands.
03:10Initially, Ukraine primarily used UGVs for logistics and medical evacuations,
03:16accumulating some 15,000 UGV systems of various types by the end of 2025.
03:23These systems are now handling an increasing percentage of Ukraine's frontline logistics requirements.
03:29According to Yuri Poritsky, CEO of DevDroid, a Ukrainian company that develops UGVs and combat modules,
03:37much like with Kamikaze drones, initial skepticism towards UGVs has given way to calls of,
03:44I want that too.
03:46Early on, UGVs were the butt of jokes among Ukrainian soldiers,
03:50as the robots moved so slowly, they were passed by pickup trucks again and again.
03:55But that was before Russia's elite drone division, Rubicon, entered the fray,
04:00in particular targeting the fleet of pickup trucks Ukraine commonly uses to deliver supplies to the front.
04:06As the slow-moving UGVs trundle past the shelves of burnt-out pickups,
04:11on their way to successfully deliver supplies, attitudes changed.
04:15And now, as Poritsky puts it, everyone wants a UGV,
04:20no one wants to carry ammunition in a pickup, that could be the next target for FPV drones.
04:25Today, Ukraine has a variety of logistics-focused UGVs in service.
04:31The Termit, for example, is a tracked UGV with a low-profile design for off-road mobility.
04:37It can carry loads of up to 440 pounds, has a range of 12 hours or 50 miles,
04:43and is resistant to jamming, a critical factor on the electronic warfare-soaked front lines.
04:49The Muraka is another of Ukraine's leading tracked UGVs for load capacity and battlefield resilience.
04:56It can reportedly carry more than 1,100 pounds of payload for dozens of miles,
05:02particularly in mined in artillery-heavy zones, and also features multi-channel communication to resist jamming.
05:08Even larger and more robust is the Protector.
05:12Designed as a frontline logistical workhorse, it can carry up to 2,650 pounds of heavy logistics,
05:19like ammunition, mortar systems, and construction materials.
05:22With a diesel-powered engine and wheeled 4x4 chassis,
05:26it can ford water up to 3.3 feet deep and move it up to 40 miles per hour.
05:32As we'll discover a bit later, it can also pack serious firepower.
05:37Now, deep dives into innovative military technology like Ukraine's UGVs
05:42are exactly what we do best here on The Military Show.
05:45If you want to stay on the pulse of what's happening and why in military affairs,
05:50click that subscribe button, you'll be very glad you did.
05:53And speaking of Ukraine's UGVs, in addition to these domestically produced systems,
06:00Ukraine also has UGVs supplied by partner nations in service.
06:04Estonia, for example, has supplied at least 150 of the Themis UGV system,
06:10produced by Milrem Robotics and provided with the assistance of Dutch funding.
06:15The payload varies depending on the configuration, with a maximum of around 1,650 pounds.
06:21Both the Termit and Themis are also used for medical evacuations,
06:26alongside UGVs more specialized for the task.
06:29These include the Maul, developed by the 1st Separate Medical Battalion
06:33for high-speed armoured evacuation under fire.
06:36Capable of travelling at up to 44 miles per hour,
06:40it's reportedly successfully evacuated wounded troops,
06:43despite mine strikes and drone attacks.
06:46These and other UGV systems have undeniably made a difference in saving lives on the battlefield.
06:53On the one hand, they keep troops in the fight, even in the middle of kill zones,
06:57by keeping them stocked with essential supplies and helping to get the wounded
07:01to the treatment they need in a timely manner.
07:04On the other hand, they reduce the risk to humans who would have had to perform these tasks
07:09in the absence of robots.
07:10But the real innovation and greatest value to Ukraine
07:14is in the increasing use of UGVs for actual combat operations,
07:18as robotic soldiers, machine guns, landmine layers and artillery.
07:23The key demand from frontline troops is to replace the riflemen in the trenches,
07:28especially for the highest-risk operations.
07:30Take, for example, using an MK-19 grenade launcher,
07:34a common Ukrainian weapon on the frontlines.
07:37First, the launcher must be dismantled and hauled,
07:40along with ammunition, to the firing position.
07:43It's a slow and dangerous task,
07:45as the group hauling the launcher can easily be detected by Russian drones
07:49and wiped out along the way.
07:51An MK-19 toting UGV eliminates that exposure,
07:56effortlessly transporting everything at once and arriving ready to fight.
08:01UGVs could also be decisive in countering the current Russian tactics
08:04of pushing forward in large numbers,
08:07but split into small groups to probe for gaps in Ukraine's defences
08:10and spread out its limited infantry defences.
08:14Speed is the decisive factor in countering them,
08:17requiring Ukrainian forces to hastily take up new positions.
08:21These new positions require camouflage before they can be effectively manned,
08:25but that takes time, slowing down reaction speed
08:28and putting soldiers at risk of drone attacks while the camo is being strung up.
08:33An armed UGV, on the other hand, can open fire instantly,
08:37and even if it's hit, its operator remains unharmed
08:40as they're controlling the UGV from a relatively safe distance.
08:44But despite all that tech, there's one major shortcoming with UGVs.
08:49The challenge is making robots that are able to fight even roughly on a par with infantry.
08:55No easy feat, but one that Ukrainian engineers are busy tackling.
08:59It's a work in progress, with ongoing trials and modifications
09:03to improve performance based on battlefield experience.
09:07Just 5 out of 13 manufacturers passed a recent live-fire test
09:11run by Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade and the Snake Island Institute.
09:15Despite these challenges, however, some models are already in active combat
09:20and delivering consistent results.
09:22And through direct cooperation with the military,
09:25developers are refining the platforms and equipping them to handle new weapons.
09:30So, what kinds of weapons are being installed onto UGVs
09:34and what are the challenges in mounting them?
09:37At present, the most common weapons used in UGVs are large caliber machine guns.
09:43Here, according to Poritsky, the main challenge is preserving the weapon's original design.
09:48To work effectively, the platform must be designed
09:51so that the machine gun works without any modifications.
09:55In its basic configuration, engineers used transition brackets
09:59to secure the machine gun without affecting the UGV's body,
10:03enabling quick weapon changes on the module.
10:06The only mechanical modification is the addition of an electric trigger to allow remote operation.
10:11While the gun's turret is controlled by electric motors and actuators.
10:16In advanced configurations,
10:18specialized software transforms an ordinary machine gun into a high-precision weapon.
10:24Developers tailor ballistic calculations for each system according for distance,
10:29ammunition type, wind, and the target's angular velocity.
10:33Ammunition is also tracked automatically,
10:35so operators always know how many rounds are left.
10:39This software also makes use of AI-powered modules
10:42that identify enemies using movement and heat signatures.
10:46These modules can track targets independently,
10:49but firing is controlled by human to avoid friendly fire.
10:53As the commander of the NC-13 UGV company in the 3rd Assault Brigade,
10:58identified with the callsign Makar, told the Ukrainska Pravda website,
11:03We employ artificial intelligence in combat modules and machine vision
11:08to support patrolling and target spotting.
11:10Once a sector or angle is set, the turret patrols automatically.
11:15When it detects a moving object or heat signature,
11:18it begins tracking and alerts the operator.
11:20Look, someone is coming.
11:22These auxiliary features are already proving useful to operators.
11:26AI also helps to offset the limitations of unreliable signals
11:30for controlling the UGVs.
11:32According to the commander of the combined UGV unit
11:36at the Kartiya unit, 2nd Corps of Ukraine's National Guard,
11:40identified as Matamatik,
11:42electronic communication with UGVs is one of the main limitations of the technology,
11:47along with mechanics.
11:48The mechanical operation of the gun presents issues that, at this point,
11:53AI can't fix.
11:55A jammed round, for example, needs a human to unjam it,
11:58rendering the UGV useless until that happens.
12:01Although engineers have begun installing remote reloading systems
12:05on some Ukrainian UGVs to reduce the risk,
12:08for now, meticulous weapon preparation before combat
12:11is the only solution for the rest.
12:14As for the machine gun itself,
12:15the choice is largely driven by ammunition availability.
12:19The most common choice is the US-made Browning M2,
12:23chambered for .5 BMG ammunition.
12:26These are regularly supplied by Kyiv's partners,
12:29to the point they're more prevalent among the Ukrainian armed forces
12:32than the stockpiles of Soviet-era alternatives
12:35that Ukraine inherited at independence.
12:37Although the heavy calibre of the M2 requires a reinforced turret
12:42and stiff dampers to cope with recoil,
12:44it's valued for its range and armour penetration.
12:47However, when these 12.7mm weapons are in short supply,
12:52Ukraine has also taken to mounting 7.62mm machine guns,
12:56such as the Russian PKM or Belgian M240.
13:01Ukraine also sometimes uses tank-mounted Russian PKMTs,
13:05which are often salvaged from damaged armoured vehicles.
13:09In addition to the destructive power these heavy machine guns can inflict,
13:13they also have significant psychological impact
13:15on Russia's frontline forces.
13:18Peritsky sums it up.
13:19When the enemy hears a large calibre machine gun,
13:22they immediately think heavy equipment is nearby.
13:25They realise that no ordinary soldier could carry a 50kg gun.
13:29If enemy units are hiding in the buildings,
13:31they get very uneasy.
13:33They're aware that they will eventually be wiped out,
13:36and they need to flee.
13:37On Intercept, our fighters even heard the enemy report,
13:40large armoured vehicles are engaging us,
13:43when in fact it was only a camouflaged ground robot,
13:46systematically hitting targets.
13:48As noted earlier, automatic grenade launchers are another weapon system,
13:53ideally suited for UGV use.
13:56Unlike machine guns,
13:57they can engage targets from covered positions,
13:59firing overhead and beyond their direct line of sight.
14:03However, integrating grenade launchers is more complex
14:06than mounting machine guns due to their weight and recoil.
14:10The US-made MK-19 weighs 77.6 pounds,
14:14nearly double the Soviet AGS-17's 68 pounds.
14:18The recoil from such heavy launchers can destabilise lighter platforms,
14:23so UGVs that wield them require powerful electric motors and actuators.
14:28Moreover, firing on the move requires stabilisation systems
14:32to compensate for vibration.
14:34And according to Makar,
14:36no automatic grenade launcher modules currently on the market have this capability.
14:40And it's not just the physics of the UGV that gives it an edge.
14:45The software used in Ukrainian grenade launcher turrets
14:48also gives them certain advantages over human operated launches.
14:52Software, like the commonly used WALL-E 40 module,
14:56reacts faster than a human operator,
14:58automatically calculating the angle of barrel elevation needed to hit a target.
15:03Makar says,
15:04A turret can be positioned in a forested area or in open terrain,
15:08while the soldier remains undercover and controls it remotely.
15:12For grenade launchers,
15:13the system lets you memorise between 10 and 15 targets.
15:16You can set the boundaries of a forested area,
15:19and if there's infantry moving there,
15:21the turret will independently engage targets across that zone in a zig-zag pattern.
15:26This really simplifies targeting.
15:28Once the turret is in position,
15:30you enter the coordinates,
15:31and it locks onto the target in a split second and fires accurately.
15:35Because UGV operators can't see a beyond line of sight target directly,
15:40the platform and turret rely on a complex system of four to five sensors,
15:45including compasses, gyroscopes and GPS antennas.
15:48If GPS is jammed,
15:50the system picks it up and switches to alternative methods for determining its position.
15:55However, there are still a couple of serious issues to overcome.
15:59Similar to machine guns,
16:01the ammunition feed is the most mechanically complex unit on grenade-launching UGVs,
16:06and there are currently no widely available technologies
16:09for the automatic replacement of grenade boxes.
16:12That means sending humans in on dangerous repair or UGV extraction missions if the feed jams.
16:19Vibration is also a problem,
16:21even on larger platforms that can withstand the weight and recoil of heavy grenade launchers.
16:26Vibrations loosen bolts and damage electronics.
16:29So, after every mission,
16:31crews have to inspect the equipment and meticulously secure all connections.
16:36But besides these technical issues which Ukrainian engineers are steadily overcoming,
16:41arguably the biggest challenge facing Ukraine with regard to implementing combat UGVs at scale is tactics.
16:48In essence, coordinating operations with unmanned forces, either alone or in combination with human forces,
16:55is a very different beast from coordinating human-only attacks,
16:59and Ukraine is compelled to work it out in real time in the field.
17:03Although the first experiments with unmanned, remotely controlled systems
17:07date back to the beginning of the 20th century,
17:10and drones have been a growing phenomenon for decades,
17:13the Ukraine war is really the first time UGVs have been used to this extent.
17:18So, there's no established military doctrine within Ukraine
17:21or anywhere else from which to glean best practices.
17:25Ukrainian troops say infantry combat planning procedures are applied to combat robots,
17:31but coordinating attack that includes them is more difficult than commanding only human forces.
17:36To an extent, according to Mathematik, it's a command and control issue.
17:41Given the novelty of the technology, the headquarters sends combat UGVs into action
17:46without always factoring in their technical limits.
17:49They need UGV experts to adjust missions to what the machines can actually do,
17:54which complicates planning and raises the bar for officer skills.
17:58So, during this period, when both crews and commanders
18:01are gaining the necessary expertise and experience first-hand,
18:05coordinating robots in fast-moving assaults will likely continue to be along a fairly steep learning curve.
18:11Still, rapid progress is being made, as Mathematik sees it.
18:16The problem is that different units have very different experiences and views,
18:21so it's hard to bring everything under one standard quickly.
18:24You can't do everything at once, but I think that over the next year,
18:27this will scale up and will reach a clear understanding of the standards,
18:31who uses ground drones where and how.
18:33According to him, combat ground robots are already operating at distances of over a mile
18:39from enemy positions and show their greatest value in defensive operations.
18:43They support or replace infantry, helping to hold positions with fewer personnel
18:48and reducing the risk to soldiers.
18:51Arranged in layers, armed UGVs form a dense, hard-to-breach fire system.
18:56Large platforms are typically positioned on the second or third line from the zone of immediate combat
19:01to protect them from Russian FPV drones, the primary threat to them.
19:06Dug into these positions, they act as remote observation and firing point.
19:11They can wait there for days without the need for food, water, sleep,
19:14or even a quick toilet break, while automatically detecting and tracking targets.
19:19As a result, a single operator can control three to four sectors at once from a safe shelter.
19:25However, while such defensive UGV tactics are quite well established by now,
19:30the tactics with robot attacks are still taking shape.
19:33Offensive operations are far more complex than defensive operations.
19:38For now, their most effective role is in reconnaissance in-force operations,
19:42where robots advance without personnel to draw enemy fire.
19:46During assaults, they serve as a fire shield or escort element, pinning the enemy down.
19:52Makar provides a telling example.
19:54We planned an operation around ground robots, providing the main fire support for the assault group.
20:00It was a comprehensive setup, two Kamikaze robots carrying MON-90 mines,
20:05a combat module armed with an MK-19 grenade launcher and an evacuation platform.
20:11The first Kamikaze robot blew up the enemy position before the assault started.
20:15The second moved parallel to the infantry across the field and, on command,
20:20attacked the enemy at the coordinates provided during the fight.
20:23The grenade launcher module provided cover and open terrain as our guys were moving in.
20:28The robot fired its full ammunition load accurately at the target.
20:32Sadly, we lost one soldier to artillery fire.
20:36As soon as the area was secured, the logistics robot moved in and evacuated the body.
20:40This example proves that robots are capable of effectively supporting assaults,
20:46destroying fortifications and manpower before close combat starts.
20:50In another famous example, a Kamikaze UGV forced Russian fighters to surrender by threatening to blow up their position.
20:58Now, Ukraine is also starting to introduce more powerful combat platforms that can carry more ammunition and heavier modules,
21:06and function more like an infantry fighting vehicle than an infantryman with a machine gun or grenade launcher.
21:13These heavy-duty UGVs include the aforementioned Protector and T-700 Browning, both capable of carrying around £1,550,
21:23and the Vatag, which carries up to £4,400.
21:27The T-700 Browning is armed with two machine guns, a 12.7mm Browning M2 and a 7.62mm PKT.
21:37The Vatag was developed for the 25mm Bushmaster Cannon, the same one used by the US-made Bradley infantry fighting
21:44vehicle.
21:45Its developer says the chassis can even carry an entire 40 rocket load for grad multiple launch rocket systems.
21:52But it doesn't end there. Ukrainian developers are preparing repeaters and platforms to carry and deploy small Kamikaze drones,
22:00as well as UGV-mounted anti-tank missile systems, man-portable air defense systems, auto cannons, and even flamethrower rocket
22:09launchers.
22:09A fully automated robot army may still be some way off.
22:13But for now, UGVs are significantly leveling the playing field in terms of manpower for Ukraine.
22:19As Poritsky puts it,
22:21We don't have enough people. The Russians throw their men into the meat grinder.
22:25We send robots to the scrap heap. We storm with them, lose them, but swap money and metal for enemy
22:31manpower.
22:32With Russia and many other nations also leaping into UGV development at a pace,
22:37there are likely to be huge developments in this space in the near future.
22:41Now gain more insight with this video on Ukraine's robot army that we recently produced.
22:47We'll of course stay on the pulse of development, so make sure you subscribe to the channel so you don't
22:52miss out.
22:53Thanks for watching.
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