Ukraine has developed and deployed ground robots to reshape military operations, with manufacturers including Robotic Complexes and over 200 startups across the country producing these unmanned systems. The robots, such as the Murakha model standing over one meter tall and operating on tank-like tracks, are piloted remotely from bunkers tens of kilometers away and can traverse challenging terrain at speeds up to 12 kilometers per hour.
These ground robots offer tactical advantages over traditional infantry and even aerial drones in several respects. Their electric engines make them less detectable by thermal imaging compared to combustion-powered vehicles, and they possess longer battery life than aerial drones while carrying substantially heavier payloads. Ground robots equipped with explosives have demonstrated significant destructive capability, and in April, two ground robots achieved a historic military first by jointly capturing a Russian position in the Kharkiv region, forcing Russian soldiers to surrender.
The robots are equipped with cameras, infrared technology, GPS modules, and communication systems using frequency-hopping algorithms to avoid signal jamming. Beyond combat roles, they transport ammunition, medical supplies, food, and cargo, and can be fitted with specialized evacuation modules to retrieve wounded soldiers. Ihor Chaikivsky, founder of Robotic Complexes, emphasized that the company’s primary objective was protecting lives rather than warfare, with the technology emerging from a grassroots innovation culture among civilians including business owners, software engineers, and cameramen who joined the military effort.
Ukraine’s decentralized manufacturing approach contrasts with Russian practices, according to military and business leaders. The rapid bottom-up implementation of innovations has become embedded in Ukrainian military operations, with commanders responding quickly to field-tested suggestions. However, some servicemen have raised concerns about the robots’ vulnerability to drone strikes, and reports indicate they are more effective for logistics missions than casualty evacuation operations.
Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko noted that Ukraine’s conception emphasizes rapidly scaling technological solutions requiring minimal battlefield personnel, with ground robots representing a key component of this strategy amid ongoing conscription challenges.
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