New Delhi: Ukraine has announced that its forces retook a fortified Russian position in an operation conducted exclusively by unmanned robots and drones, marking a first in any conflict across the world.
The announcement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said that a group of Russian soldiers surrendered to the unmanned battle group.
He also highlighted that Ukraine has conducted 22,000 missions using unmanned systems over the past three months, thereby saving thousands of lives.
“The future is already on the front line—and Ukraine is building it. These are our ground robotic systems. For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms—ground systems and drones. The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side,” he posted on X.
The Ukrainian leader did not say where the advance took place.
The over four-year and yet ongoing war with Russia has been a crucial catalyst for the development of drone and anti-drone technology, along with unmanned ground systems backed by Artificial Intelligence.
Across the world, countries are closely monitoring the race between Russia and Ukraine to deploy new airborne and underwater unmanned systems, as well as ground robots, in the war.
Politico has reported that Alexander Kamyshin, one of Zelenskyy’s advisers who previously headed Kyiv’s strategic industries ministry, claimed last month that up to 30 percent of Ukraine’s infantry forces could be immediately replaced by UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles). This could surge to 80 percent further down the line, he said, adding, “You can argue about the numbers or the timeline, but the shift is undeniable… UGVs are a game changer.”
According to Politico, Ukrainian defence manufacturer Devdroid also said that Ukrainian ground robot Droid TW-7.62, equipped with AI elements for autonomous detection, capture, and tracking of targets, took three Russian soldiers in January as prisoners of war (POWs).
Zelenskyy credited the capabilities of Ukraine’s defence industry and noted the production of millions of first-person view (FPV) drones per year.
“Ukraine has its own long-range missile weapons. Not just in development, but a real force already at work. Flamingo and Ruta, Peklo and Neptune, Palianytsia and Vilkha—we can already be proud of all of this, but we will not stop here for sure,” he said.
Zelenskyy, in his post, said that Ukraine’s drones now had a long-range reach of striking 1,750 km from the border, adding that it would expand.
“This is not about records—it is about justice that will find evil anywhere in the world. And our Sichen, Liutyi, Morok, Bars, Obriy, and FP are proof of that,” he added.
On security in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran, Zelenskyy said Ukraine could help the former, considering it had experience conducting a Black Sea mission.
“If partners offer us cooperation on equal footing, Ukraine can help. Our naval drones, Sea Baby, Magura, and Sargan, are well-known, and this is Ukraine’s export offering too,” he added.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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