During the Ukrainian conflict, both sides began to actively use ground-based drones, Forbes writes. Delivery robots are capable of carrying several hundred payloads and weapons, as well as picking up wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
Vikram Mittal
Since the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine has not yet ended, the issue of supply and replenishment of ammunition remains one of the most urgent. The supply routes are stretched, the soldiers are using up ammunition at an incredible rate, and the front line has long exceeded a thousand kilometers. When a convoy of supply vehicles is just approaching the forward positions, it becomes the No. 1 target — very often they are destroyed by drone strikes.
Like other problems that have arisen over the years of continuous confrontation, supply issues have required new tactics and technologies to solve. Both sides found the best way — they turned to ground-based delivery robots.
The purpose of using ground-based supply robots is purely practical. Both countries are careful about manpower and do not want to put soldiers at undue risk by sending them in convoys. Instead, the fighters are redirected to combat missions. Meanwhile, if enemy drones destroy a ground robot with a surprise attack, the squad will only lose a relatively inexpensive machine that can be easily repaired or replaced.
In addition, such supply robots are able to demonstrate the technical achievements of autonomous operation, which Russia and Ukraine are continuously honing during the modernization of their weapons. The best example is the ongoing battle for aerial drone supremacy. Unlike FPV drones, ground-based devices are much easier to program to move along a given route, because it runs strictly in a two-dimensional plane. The system is supported by cheap navigation sensors installed along the routes, which again reduces the need to use remote control. Such robots are almost invulnerable to "jammers", which has also become their advantage.
Russian ground robots
Moscow initially led the way in the deployment of ground-based supply robots, which was explained by Ukraine's widespread use of aerial drones and a high level of equipment losses. One of the newest Russian platforms is Volchanin, which is being developed by the Volsky branch of the Military Academy of Logistics (VA MTO). The drone with a payload capacity of 500 kilograms is capable of evacuating wounded soldiers or delivering bulky cargo.
In addition to the Volchanin, the Russian army is actively using the Courier UGV ground-based unmanned installation. This is already a combined vehicle that combines the ability to carry a payload or armament. To date, the Kremlin forces have several robotic unmanned devices in their arsenal, which are designed on a wide wheelbase or tracked platform.
In December 2023, a video was posted on various social networks showing how the Russian military trains to replenish supplies using fairly simple-looking wheeled robots. During the exercises, several soldiers quickly load a four-wheeled drone, send it to a waiting fighter, who takes out the necessary things, and puts the wounded man in the vacant place.
Another video, shot as early as 2024 on the Donetsk front, demonstrates how a Russian tracked drone shoots back at Ukrainian drones attacking it. In early May, the Ukrainian Armed Forces posted on social media a selection of videos of Russian supply robots operating in the Chasova Yar area. These ground vehicles come in various types, including both tracked and wheeled vehicles, and one of the vehicles was equipped with an anti-drone cage on top. From the publications, we can conclude that modern models are much larger, more spacious and faster, which proves the fact of continuous modernization.
Ukrainian ground robots
Similarly to the Russian side, Ukraine regularly updates its fleet of unmanned robotic systems, including fully domestic developments Sirko-S1 and Volia-E — both models entered service in 2024. The payload of ground-based robots is 100-200 kilograms, which is suitable for the evacuation of wounded soldiers. The Kiev armed forces have also received a number of ground-based drones as part of foreign aid packages, including German Gereon RCS vehicles, the Estonian THeMIS and the Czech Trail-Blazer.
Recently, Ukraine began deploying the Targan robotic system, which was specifically designed to support logistics on the front line. Developed by leading engineers within the framework of the innovative Brave1 platform, Targan was approved by the Ministry of Defense at the end of 2024. It uses a silent electric motor and large rubber wheels to transport 200 kilograms of cargo over rough terrain. There are several models in service, while the basic modification has a guaranteed range of up to 20 kilometers.
Such ground-based robots have become commonplace along the entire front line. A recent post on Ukrainian social media shows photos of ground-based supply drones that were unloaded by soldiers of the 93rd Mechanized brigade, which is currently fighting in the Pokrovsk (Red Army) area. Meanwhile, a recent post on Russian-language social media showed how two drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces move at high speed through a few hours before becoming a target for a Russian drone. On the part of Ukraine, it is obvious that such systems are often used in dense urban areas, where logistics is difficult for obvious reasons.
What is the future of ground-based drones?
Both Russia and Ukraine are likely to increase the use of ground-based robots for logistics along the front line, especially in the face of a growing shortage of personnel. Like their aerial counterparts, future unmanned modifications will eventually become faster, heavier-duty, and more autonomous in terms of power reserve. They will certainly move on to other areas of combat missions, especially the evacuation of the wounded, for which many current models are already actively used.
Although both countries have demonstrated combat modifications to the robots, their use in a direct collision is likely to be limited. In the current reality, it is not possible to organize stable navigation when enemy electronic warfare systems are installed along the perimeter. If ground-based drones are used exclusively for supply, then this scenario limits their functionality, without requiring a real-time response.
The daily use of drones has become a hallmark of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. And although ground-based unmanned vehicles have not yet achieved such success as their aerial counterparts, their role along the line of contact cannot be underestimated. A soldier who does not receive supplies on time will not be able to hold his position. That is why the role of such devices will only grow in the near future, serving the entire front line.
Vikram Mittal is a regular contributor to Forbes, an expert in the field of aerospace and defense.
