News Ukraine first attacked Russia entirely with ground and air robots
Ukraine launches first attack on Russian positions entirely using robots
Ukraine has launched an attack on Russian military positions entirely using ground robots and drones. This is the first time Ukraine has not deployed infantry but relied entirely on technology in a military operation.
Ukrainian robots simultaneously attack Russian troops
Speaker Sergeant Volodymyr Dehtiarov of the Khartia National Guard Brigade (13th Guards Brigade) said that the attack took place near the village of Lyptsi, in the north of Kharkov province. Dozens of suicide robots and drones, supported by reconnaissance UAVs, coordinated the attack on Russian positions.
The force included ground robots (UGVs) equipped with machine guns, mine detectors and devices, and suicide FPV UAVs. In addition, there is information that Ukraine also used suicide UGV FPVs, a type of robot carrying bombs to destroy targets. Sergeant Dehtiarov stressed that the application of new technology brings important advantages on the battlefield.
Although the specific time was not announced, the robot attack took place in the context of Russia’s efforts to expand its position near the Oskil River in Kharkiv province. The Ukrainian army tried to stop Russian supply convoys in the area on December 18, according to the General Staff of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s policy of investing in drones
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) commented that the robot attack reflects Ukraine’s strategy of technological innovation and asymmetric warfare to compensate for the shortage of manpower. According to ISW, Ukraine is focusing on developing unmanned vehicles, notably the UGV project called Ratel S.
The UGV Ratel S is designed to carry explosives and perform the task of a mobile warhead. According to project spokeswoman Viktoriia Kovalchuk, the robot is capable of operating continuously for 40-50 minutes at medium speed or up to 2 hours at low speed. In addition, Ukraine is also testing fiber-optic UAVs, a type of unmanned device that can withstand enemy electronic warfare thanks to a direct connection via cable instead of radio waves.
Limitations and shortages of Ukrainian soldiers
The robot attack in the village of Lyptsi is a technological success, but also a sign of Ukraine’s lack of manpower. In this area, the 13th Guards Brigade with about 2,000 soldiers is facing off against more than 6,000 Russian soldiers. The ratio of troops between the two sides here is similar to that along the entire 1,200km front line between the two countries.
In September 2024, Ukraine used robots in coordination with infantry in an attack on Russian trenches in the Kursk region. However, the ability of robots to hold ground is still not comparable to that of infantry, who can persistently observe, call for reinforcements and protect the front line for a long time.
The RAND Corporation (USA) has also conducted a test of a confrontation situation using UGVs between the US and Russian armies. The results showed that US robots had difficulty with Russian electronic warfare, causing the effectiveness of UGVs to decrease significantly.
Ukraine continues to face the challenge of balancing technology and manpower in its protracted conflict with Russia, but innovations in the field of robots and drones promise to bring important progress for this country.
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