David Kirichenko
Throughout the war, Ukraine has relied on technology to offset Russia’s greater numbers in personnel and materiel. Aerial drones became the backbone of that effort, helping blunt assaults, guide artillery and strike deep behind the front. Now the same logic is moving onto the ground.
As the kill zone expands, Kyiv is increasingly turning to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to carry supplies, evacuate the wounded, and, in some cases, go on the offensive. This shift is being driven by necessity. Ukraine now has 280 companies developing UGVs.
On large stretches of the front, the most dangerous task is simply getting in and out. Ukrainian UGVs now regularly destroy Russian drones waiting in ambush along these routes, helping protect human vehicle drivers and wounded soldiers, also being evacuated by UGVs.
One machine-gun-equipped UGV reportedly held a position for about 45 days.
The 3rd Assault Brigade reportedly transported more than 200 tonnes of goods in one month alone using UGVs, the equivalent of 10,000 soldiers each carrying 20 kilograms to frontline positions. Colonel Anatolii Kulykivskyi has said that ground drones now handle 70% of the brigade’s frontline logistics. One Ukrainian soldier added that, in a single month, his unit used one Termit UGV for 18 sorties, spending a total of 88.5 hours on the move to provide logistical support to frontline positions. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said Ukrainian forces carried out more than 7,000 UGV missions in a single month.
Brigadier General Andriy Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, has argued that units that actively integrate UGVs could reduce frontline infantry requirements by up to 30% by the end of 2026, which could reach up to 80% in the future.
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