First came the infantry, next the missiles, then the drones.
Now, after more than four years of a bloody and grinding war in Ukraine, remote-controlled ground robots are assuming command over the battlefield.
Last Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade had regained territory exclusively due to a combination of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones – a mission he says was a first in the war.
“The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side,” he went on, referring to an operation from the northeastern Kharkiv region last year, in which Ukrainian infantry occupied a position gained using the UGVs.
This shapeshifting conflict has transformed modern conventional warfare, most notably through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS – or drones) for reconnaissance and attack missions. But UGVs are the new future of warfare, Ukrainian commanders and engineers say – a future that has already arrived.
Kyiv’s 3rd Assault Brigade wants to replace around 30 per cent of its infantry with UGVs as it looks to cut down on costly troop losses on the eastern frontlines, Mykola Zinkevych, callsign Makar, commander of the “NC13” Strike UGV Unit that carried out the Kharkiv operation, tells The Independent.
“The logic is simple: where the risk to a human is high, a robot should be used. Because the life of an infantryman is priceless, and robots don’t bleed,” he says. “We’re working toward a model where UGVs take on the most dangerous tasks, while infantry becomes a highly specialised force focused on what UGVs cannot perform.”
Yaroslav Drobysh, callsign Zhulyk, is the operator and chief sergeant of the unit. He says growing use of UGVs has already significantly eased the burden for infantrymen, carrying out several logistical tasks and transporting large volumes of supplies and ammunition without losses.
“This is a new phase of war,” Sgt Drobysh says.
“Having walked the path of an assault infantryman, I know firsthand the true price of every metre of our land. That is why I deeply understand the value of decisions that reduce risk to human life.”
Sgt Drobysh’s unit says it is the world’s first strike UGV unit, starting from scratch with no military doctrine for the use of the vehicles in modern combat. Ukraine is now a world leader in their production and use; last year, its UGV market grew by 488 per cent, according to a study by KSE Institute, BRAVE1, and Defence Builder.
The vehicles have already been transformative to logistics on the battlefield. While a modern infantryman can carry an average of 20 kilograms of gear over distance, logistics UGVs can transport a cargo of 200 to 600 kilograms to frontline positions.
They deliver critical supplies, evacuate wounded troops, hold territorial positions, destroy enemy positions, carry out sabotage missions and lay minefields.
Cmdr Zinkevych says the unit has carried out more than 100 strike operations using UGVs in the past few months. “During these missions, we’ve destroyed enemy troops, shelters, command posts, and other high-value targets,” he says. “This is daily, systematic combat work.”
