Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Ukraine's ground robots take dangerous frontline jobs from soldiers
Ukraine is using small remote-controlled vehicles to do some dangerous jobs in the war.
Some vehicles carry explosives and attack enemy positions.
Others deliver food and ammunition or evacuate wounded soldiers.
People control the machines from safer locations using screens and remote controls.
Ukrainian commanders believe this could reduce the number of soldiers exposed to battlefield danger.
They also want land robots and flying drones to work together.
However, the robots cannot do everything that people can do.
They may get stuck on obstacles and cannot clear buildings or trenches by themselves.
Ukraine’s military is still developing and expanding this technology.
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps is deploying four-wheeled “Hyena” unmanned ground vehicles carrying explosives and weapons near the front line.
The vehicles perform combat, logistics, evacuation, fire-suppression and ammunition-delivery missions while reducing soldiers’ exposure to danger.
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi says the corps aims to replace about one-third of its frontline troops with unmanned ground vehicles by year’s end.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says ground drones have carried out more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions this year.
Operators say the vehicles cannot overcome many obstacles or clear buildings and trenches, and are not yet produced in sufficient numbers for large-scale deployment.
- Who
- Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, including its NC13 unmanned-ground-vehicle unit, is operating the robots against Russian forces.
- What
- The military is using unmanned ground vehicles for combat, logistics, evacuation and other dangerous frontline tasks.
- When
- The Reuters report describes operations and preparations on May 22, 2026; Ukraine’s Defence Ministry reported the mission total in June.
- Where
- The vehicles are being prepared and operated in the Kharkiv region and across Ukraine’s 1,200-kilometre front, including Donetsk.
- Why
- Ukraine is seeking to preserve soldiers’ lives and offset its manpower disadvantage against Russian infantry assaults.
Case for expanded ground-robot use
Operational limits and risks
Replacing soldiers in dangerous tasks
Case for expanded ground-robot use
Andrii Biletskyi says unmanned ground vehicles represent a new revolution in warfare and could replace about one-third of the corps’ frontline troops.
Operational limits and risks
The vehicles cannot perform every infantry function, including clearing buildings and trenches, so soldiers remain necessary for some operations.
Battlefield effectiveness
Case for expanded ground-robot use
Operators report that UGVs have attacked positions, supported assaults, transported supplies, evacuated wounded troops and helped secure the surrender of prisoners.
Operational limits and risks
The machines face obstacles, are not produced widely enough for swarming, and remain vulnerable to the practical difficulties of frontline terrain.
- Robot type
- Four-wheeled unmanned ground vehicles known as “Hyenas”
- Payload
- Some Hyenas carry up to 20 kilograms of explosives
- Front line
- Ukraine’s front extends about 1,200 kilometres, according to the report
- Planned troop replacement
- The Third Army Corps wants unmanned vehicles to replace about one-third of its frontline troops by the end of 2026
- Missions reported
- Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says ground drones completed more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions this year
- Unit
- NC13, a unit of Ukraine’s Third Army Corps formed last year
- Limitations
- The vehicles struggle with physical obstacles and cannot independently clear buildings or trenches