On the outskirts of Kyiv is the training center of the 3rd assault brigade, where next to training trenches and an obstacle course there is a so-called Kill House – a training base for combat robots.
It is here that the Ukrainian military is testing unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that could soon partially replace soldiers on the front lines.
The Economist reports this.
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The first UGV models are already in action at the front, including in the 3rd Assault Brigade. Although there are only a few of them at the moment, that could change in the near future. In the spring, Ukraine announced plans to deploy up to 15,000 of these robots. Experts compare this potential breakthrough to the explosive growth of drone production in 2023.
“We don't have enough people to stop the Russian meat wave. So we'll send our zombies against theirs,” says one of the producers.
There are already about 40 private companies operating in Ukraine that have created more than 200 UGV models. They are conventionally divided into three groups: logistics (fuel, water, evacuation), engineering (demining, laying communications, mining), and combat (with grenade launchers or turrets to combat drones).
Before being sent to the front, these devices are modified: cameras, additional communication channels, and protection from electronic warfare are added.
The head of the UGV Academy, who goes by the call sign Stark, says that the machines are already performing tasks that previously required entire teams of soldiers. For example, drone sludge platforms transport hundreds of kilograms of cargo, and new models of evacuation vehicles, such as the Ardal, remove the wounded without risk to medics.
Sapper drones can now lay dozens of mines in a single pass. The UGV Hyzhak (translated as Predator) uses AI to destroy enemy drones at a distance of up to 200 meters, and the combat Liut (Lyut) with a 7.62 mm machine gun has already proven its effectiveness during the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region in August 2024.
As operators Shadow and Shura from the 92nd Brigade recall, they used to have to accompany their UGV to the front lines on foot — something that would be deadly today due to the activity of Russian drones. Now they can control the vehicles remotely via Starlink from command posts deep in the rear.
“One of us pilots, the other one has a drink or goes for a smoke break,” Shadow jokes.
At the same time, they believe that UGVs will not replace infantry yet, but will significantly facilitate logistics.
The biggest barriers to widespread use remain connectivity issues. Starlink is unreliable in mountainous terrain or under trees, and mesh communications networks can collapse if key nodes are lost. According to Uragan Bureau engineer Viktor, the UGVs will require improved artificial vision or AI to be fully operational in combat, which may not happen for at least a year. Another problem is the lack of experienced operators.
Despite this, Ukraine is leading the development of ground robotics because the situation demands it. Russia, which mobilizes 8-9 thousand soldiers monthly, does not need it yet. But, as in the story with FPV drones, the Kremlin may try to copy Ukrainian developments, scale up and standardize production.
“If we can replace at least 1% of the needs for manpower at the front, that's already a success. And I believe that we can do much more now,” says Vasily, the founder of the company that produces Lyut.
