Ukrainian military robots: Ratel, Termit, Droid TW. President Zelenskyy announced the first capture of a Russian position in the full-scale war using only ground robots and drones — with no Ukrainian soldiers involved.
This was not a one-off operation but the result of the rapid development of an entire “robot army.” In the first three months of 2026, Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) completed over 22,000 combat and logistical missions. March alone saw a record 9,000+ missions. 167 units have already fully integrated robots into their operations. Today, Ukrainian UGVs are no longer an experiment — they are a real force that saves lives, changes tactics, and turns the war into a “war of machines.”
Ukrainian military robots: What Happened
In one frontline operation, ground robots (Ratel, Termit, Ardal, Rys, Zmiy, Protector, Volya, and others) independently conducted reconnaissance, suppression, and capture of a fortified enemy position. The occupiers surrendered to the robots. In January–March 2026, UGVs carried out 24,500 missions (over 9,000 in March alone). The number of units using robots grew from 67 in November 2025 to 167 in March 2026.
More than 200 Ukrainian companies produce UGVs, and the Brave1 platform allows the military to purchase them using “combat points” (ePoints). Ukrainian military robots: Ratel Termit Droid TW. Robots already handle up to 90 % of logistics in the most dangerous zones (Pokrovsk and other hot spots).
How It Worked: Ratel, Termit, Droid TW
Ukrainian UGVs are modular platforms that operate both independently and in coordination with aerial drones. Main types and characteristics:
- Logistics / Evacuation (most widespread): Ratel H (Ratel Robotics) — tracked, payload 400–600 kg (towing up to 1.5 tons), range >50 km, can carry an FPV-drone launcher module. Termit (Tencore) — modular, 20–40 km range, up to 12 hours endurance, over 300 units in 20+ brigades. Zmiy (DevDroid/Rovertech) — payload up to 1,000 kg. Volya, Protector — heavy transporters.
- Combat / Strike: Droid TW 12.7 and Droid TW-7.62 (DevDroid) — armed with 12.7 mm Browning or 7.62 mm PKT, AI target recognition, thermal imaging. One such robot held a position for 45 days without infantry. Liut (Fury) and Predator — machine-gun modules, can provide fire support and capture prisoners. Ardal + Mk19 module — automatic grenade launcher turrets.
- Engineering: Gnom-Miner — mining/demining, “Egoza” wire barriers.
Tactics and Group Operations Robots work in “swarms”: ground platforms deliver ammunition or mines, FPV drones provide reconnaissance and fire support. UGVs enter “dead zones” of air defense; kamikaze robots carry 200 kg of explosives. New tactics include robotic defensive lines and combined assaults (UGV + drones without infantry). Control is via Starlink/LTE + protected channels; some systems feature AI for autonomous target detection.
Participants Ukrainian military robots
Developers: Ratel Robotics, Tencore, DevDroid, UFORCE/UGV Robotics, Frontline Robotics, BUREVII, and over 200 more companies. Military: 3rd Assault Brigade (NC13 — first UGV strike company), 71st Jaeger Brigade, Khartia, K-2, and dozens of others on the eastern and northeastern fronts. Beneficiaries:
- Ukrainian service members (sharp reduction in infantry losses).
- Society (fewer “Cargo 200”).
- Ukraine’s defense industry (ground-robot market grew 488 % in 2025 to $252 million).
- NATO partners (demonstration of cheap and effective technologies).
Why This Became Possible
- Brave1 Market — direct procurement by units using combat points, bypassing bureaucracy.
- Low cost — Ukrainian UGVs start at ~$10,000, 40 times cheaper than Western analogues.
- Mass production — 200+ companies, modularity, 65 % Ukrainian components.
- Starlink + AI — reliable control and autonomy.
- Combat experience — robots are tested in real conditions where the Russian army still has no effective counter to mass UGVs.
Ukrainian military robots Consequences Today
Robots now perform the most dangerous work: 90 % of logistics in “kill zones,” casualty evacuation, position holding, mining, and the first assaults without infantry. Personnel losses are sharply reduced. Ukrainian military robots: Ratel Termit Droid TW. 167 units have integrated UGVs into daily doctrine. Russia is forced to waste resources fighting “machines,” while Ukraine gains a strategic advantage in the “war of the future.”
Forecast and Possible Development Scenarios
If the pace continues, Ukraine will deploy tens of thousands of UGVs in 2026–2027. Possible scenarios:
- Optimistic: first full robotic battalions, complete replacement of infantry in initial assault phases, export of UGVs to allies.
- Realistic: 70–80 % logistics and 30–40 % fire support handled by robots, further AI and drone integration.
- Risky: if Russia urgently copies the technology — an arms race, but Ukraine already has a head start in experience and production. Without changes in Russian tactics, occupiers will surrender positions to “machines” more and more often.
Conclusion: Ukrainian ground robots are no longer the future — they are the present. From simple transporters, they have become full-fledged fighters that capture positions, hold defenses, and save thousands of lives. What seemed like a breakthrough yesterday is becoming the new normal today. To win, Ukraine needs only one thing: to keep accelerating production, implementing AI, and scaling the “robot army.” Every new UGV means one fewer Russian occupier and one more saved Ukrainian life. The war is changing. And we are changing it first.
Sources:
- Official Ukrainian Ministry of Defense statement: https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/over-9-000-frontline-missions-in-march-the-defence-forces-continue-to-expand-the-use-of-ground-robotic-systems
- Euromaidan Press: https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/04/13/no-infantry-for-first-time-ukraine-captured-russian-position-using-only-drones-and-robots/
- Militarnyi: https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukrainian-ugv-droid-tw-7-62-captures-three-russian-soldiers/
- Defense Express: https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/ukrainian_ratel_h_ugv_now_equipped_to_launch_fpv_drones_with_new_four_cell_launcher-17551.html
- Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-ground-robots-troops-uncrewed-ground-vehicles-first-quarter-2026-4
- UNITED24 Media: https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-defense-tech-market-hits-68b-ground-robots-explode-488-in-one-year-17558