Army robots on the approach. Why the Russian Federation can argue with land drones faster than Ukraine

Ukrainian engineers have ahead of the occupiers in the development of robotic platforms for about a year and a half, but now the Russians are actively working in this field and are quite capable of deploying mass production, experts say. The Russian military is increasingly showing their own development of land robotic complexes, which the Government of Ukraine hopes very much.

Focus, having interviewed experts, examined what the invaders have already achieved and how events on the battlefield could develop in the near future. As early as 2022, Ukrainians began to create land drones for the military, and in April 2023 the 3rd Separate Storm Brigade of the Armed Forces showed the combat use of an unknown model.

On the wheel platform installed an anti-personnel mine of the MES-90 with a function of a remote blast and a box of 12 kg of TNT, covering all this with a regular package from the supermarket. The drone got close to Russian positions and dropped his cargo, which was then undermined by the cable - he limited the range of 50 meters. The operator also saw images from the course chamber on the screen, and also received tips from the quadcopter pilot.

One of the first Ukrainian drones that became known in public - Ratel ("Medoid"). They were launched into mass production in April 2023, and in September, the developer Taras Ostapchuk reported that these drones were sent to the front to destroy Russian equipment and live power. He later added: Ratel can also undermine the occupiers' buildings and strongholds.

In April 2024, a video appeared how, under the management of Ukrainian military models, Ratel S blown up a bridge in the village of Ivanovo, Donetsk region, cutting off the logistics path of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In August, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov announced the transfer of 30 robotic systems for the units of defense forces: 25 remotely controlled Saber and wheeled platforms.

According to the official, the "saber" can be installed on the "lynx" to receive "deadly weapons against the enemy. " In November of the same year, the Armed Forces began to test the work of Sirko-S1 on the front, the main task of which was the transportation of goods weighing up to 200 kg (for example, ammunition), evacuation of the wounded and intelligence. The forces of defense forces of Ukraine began intensively and massively in 2024.

In February, the commander of the Kara Heavenly Drone crew of the 4th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine Andriy Otchenash told about a unique operation, during which the land drone for the first time destroyed the position of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with live force, using Turel with small arms. He was helped by an unmanned aerial vehicle, which led the intelligence from the sky. In March 2024, mass production of robotic ground platforms began in Ukraine.

Then the technological cluster Brave1 reported that more than 50 models were tested at the landfill, including drones-Kamikadze, Tureli, means of mines, miners, evacuation of the wounded and delivery of ammunition. According to Mikhail Fedorov, at that time Brave1 registered more than 140 such systems, 96 of them have undergone a defense examination, 14 - codified according to NATO standards. In Russia, too, have long been working on robotic systems, but not so successful.

Back in September 2022, the Russians reported that they modernize the marker's tracked work for war in Ukraine. It seems to have done something, but there is no evidence of effective use anywhere. Probably, for the first time, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation used combat ground robots on the battlefield only at the end of March 2024. They sent several tracked platforms in the Donetsk region, armed with automatic grenade launchers (AGS-17) and with mines on board.

At least two of them were destroyed by the Ukrainian military. In April, the Russians said that drones called "courier" were then used. According to them, the machine can develop speeds up to 35 km/h due to the electric motor, operate up to 72 hours and listen to the commands of the operator at a distance of up to 10 km. On March 29, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation used a similar terrestrial drone in the Sumy region.

He carried two anti-tank mines of TM-62, and was controlled through the cable. The car exploded at the position of defense forces, but no one was injured. But in May and June, a real "boom" of land drones began in the Russian Federation. With the difference in several days, the developers showed drones "Project of the Praise", "Disputes", "Lyagushka", "Impuls-M".

The commander of the company "Honor" of a separate mechanized battalion of the Armed Forces "Wolves Da Vinci" Alexander Yabchenko also suggests that Russia can ahead of Ukraine in the use of land drones. Its unit first used land robots to apply fire damage in April 2023. The military reminded that Ukraine was the first to start making and use FPV-paths, but later the occupiers took over and scale up this experience.

"Where is the guarantee that they do not include the mass of these terrestrial robotic land complexes, will teach crews and then we will catch up?" - said Alexander Yabchenko. Ratel Taras Ostapchuk says: Ukraine has ahead of Russia in the field of land drones for about 1. 5 years, but it is worried that Russians will be able to make up for lost, deploy production on a larger scale and provide their army faster.

In a comment on focus, he appreciated the land drones that have already demonstrated the Russians, and concluded that Russian products are significantly inferior to Ukrainian in quality and progressive technology, however, as practice shows, occupiers can provide more at the front. "In my opinion, we will see a lot of low quality robots on the part of the aggressor.

The Ukrainians now have one task - not to let the Russians overtake us by technologies and the number of robots on the battlefield," - summed up Taras Ostapchuk. Representatives of the non-governmental Brave Inventers Axeller also commented on Russia's capabilities in the production of land drones: "We will be honest, we all despise the Russians, but there is another side of the question: many of them, they quickly study and their economy is already working on" military rails.

" A serious enemy with which we have been fighting for ten years, more than two of which in a full -scale war. Because it does not save them from Ukrainian FPV. As the Ratel developer Taras Ostapchuk noted, Ukraine has long begun to work on the creation of robotic complexes, but they have not yet become a mass phenomenon on the front. The focus was interested in how to speed up and improve the weapons of the Defense of Ukraine with land drones.

"Ukrainians, as always a few steps in innovations in this war - we have much more application and use of land robots on the line of combat collision. The process itself went forward - the works became more intellectual, operators - more skilled, and their number in us systematically. It grows, "he assured. In March, Taras Ostapchuk suggested that Ukraine would take 6 months to start producing and applying robotic platforms in the war.

In his opinion, over the last 3 months the process has moved significantly for the better. "Thanks to Brave1, the number of manufacturers is systematically increasing. United24 has begun an official gathering on the army of robots. I see extremely positive changes in this direction from the state," he emphasized.

But in Brave Inventors, on their part, they do not see significant positive shifts over the last year, because from those manufacturers who have joined this accelerator, the serial production of land drones launched units. "Brave Inventory is a non -governmental platform, so confirming or denying similar expectations of experts or Miltech developers will not be quite correct.

These questions are better to seek the answer from the authorized state bodies that are able to consolidate such information," the organization said. Brave Inventorys added that land platforms are today multifunctional systems that provide many tasks to the Ukrainian military: evacuation of wounded, ammunition, mines and demining, remote fire and more. One such platform can accomplish its most important task - to save human lives.

"We cannot claim that such technique is not used massively or at all to apply any measurements for reasons for the protection Or funds or volunteers who carry out point purchases for the Armed Forces, "the platform representatives explained. It is worth noting that the availability of such technologies is currently limited.

First, not all military knows that such products can be purchased, secondly, most logistics platforms that can be used for many purpose are very high-cost, respectively, stable funding is required. To help manufacturers of land robots in Ukraine can: with these and other directions Brave Inventors and assists developers as a platform-axlector.