‘The frontline is like Terminator’: fighting robots give Ukraine hope in war with Russia | Ukraine | The Guardian
AI Analysis
Ukraine has significantly increased the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in its conflict with Russia, transforming its military operations into a technological contest. The country has also signed defense agreements to supply Gulf states with interceptors capable of countering kamikaze drones.
Key Takeaways
- Ukraine's use of UGVs has grown exponentially since 2024, now accounting for 90% of army logistics.
- The conflict has shifted focus from traditional tanks to drones and robotic systems.
- Ukraine has become a hub for unmanned weapon development, with a unique ecosystem for rapid innovation.
- Ukraine signed 10-year defense agreements with Gulf states for drone interceptors.
- In January, Ukraine conducted a record 7,000 operations using UGVs.
Why It Matters
The integration of UGVs and drones into Ukraine's military strategy highlights a shift towards more cost-effective and technologically advanced warfare. This development not only enhances Ukraine's defense capabilities but also positions it as a key player in the global defense market, especially in counter-UAS technologies.
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Trainee operators test out an unmanned ground robot at a school run by Ukraine’s third army corps. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian
Trainee operators test out an unmanned ground robot at a school run by Ukraine’s third army corps. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian
‘The frontline is like Terminator’: fighting robots give Ukraine hope in war with Russia
Use of unmanned ground vehicles has grown exponentially since 2024 turning the war into a technological contest
Victor Pavlov showed off Ukraine’s newest and most versatile weapon: a battery-powered land robot.
The unmanned ground vehicles come in various shapes and sizes. One runs on caterpillar tracks and resembles a roofless milk float. Another has wheels and antennas. A third carries anti-tank mines. Since spring 2024 their use has grown exponentially.
“This is what modern warfare looks like. Armies everywhere will have to robotise,” said Pavlov, a lieutenant with Ukraine’s 3rd army corps.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now in its fifth year and the conflict – Europe’s biggest since 1945 – has seen an astonishing transformation of battlefield weapons and tactics. The war has become a technological contest, fought not with expensive tanks but with cheap and expendable drones that can deliver bombs with deadly accuracy.
Unmanned ground robots used by the Ukrainian army
Ukraine’s drone expertise is now highly sought after amid the US-Israeli war against Iran. Last week Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed 10-year defence agreements with several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to provide them with low-cost Ukrainian interceptors. They can shoot down long-range kamikaze Shahed drones, used by Tehran in its attacks on its neighbours, and by Moscow.
The Kremlin’s war has transformed Kyiv into a centre for the development of modern unmanned weapons. There is a unique ecosystem, where engineers design new products and frontline soldiers give instant feedback. Manufacturers then scale up supplies, building ground vehicles, anti-Shahed interceptors and pioneering sea drones.
Land robots now account for 90% of Ukrainian army logistics. “It’s very difficult to move around because of enemy first-person-view drones. So we use robotic systems,” said Pavlov. In January, Ukraine’s armed forces carried out a record 7,000 operations using ground vehicles, or UGVS.
Illustrations of different land drones
Robots are increasingly taking a key role in combat