Ukrainian forces are increasingly using robots and drones to carry out frontline missions instead of soldiers, with plans to replace a third of infantry with drones and robots this year.
CNN reports that, according to Ukrainian officials, robots have become a regular feature on the battlefield over the past year, first used for evacuating wounded soldiers and delivering supplies, and now increasingly deployed in combat roles.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian drones and robots carried out more than 22,000 missions in the past three months, adding that “lives were saved more than 22,000 times when a robot went into the most dangerous areas instead of a warrior.”
Military experts say land drones are harder to detect, operate in harsh weather, and carry heavier equipment, with one Ukrainian robot reportedly holding off Russian forces for 45 days with minimal maintenance.
Mykola “Makar” Zinkevych, commander of the Ukrainian unit, said a recent operation last summer was the first time an enemy position was stormed and prisoners taken by ground robots and drones without infantry, adding, “Human life is priceless, whereas robots do not bleed,” and calling for rapid expansion of robotic systems to offset Russia’s manpower advantage, saying,
“We will never have a numerical advantage over the enemy, so we need to achieve this advantage through technology.”
However, he emphasized that the final decision must always be made by a human, raising concerns about AI weapons, including reliability in distinguishing friend from foe and avoiding malfunctions.
Defense analysts say these developments could reshape future warfare, as ground robots are already useful in evacuation, resupply, mine clearance, and combat, and are expected to find many uses in other military forces.
