Reuters: Ukraine Is Undergoing A New Revolution That No One Is Noticing
- 12.09.2026, 9:41
War is a creative endeavor; it is an art.
Ukraine is increasingly using ground drones on the battlefield in an effort to compensate for a shortage of personnel and reduce military casualties. This is reported in a story by by Reuters, whose authors visited one of the Ukrainian units specializing in the use of ground-based robotic systems.
The journalists describe the work of Ukrainian military mechanics near the front lines in northeastern Ukraine, who are preparing four-wheeled vehicles known as “Hyenas” for combat missions. These vehicles can deliver explosives to Russian positions, attack cover, or halt enemy advances. According to one of the mechanics, similar robotic platforms have already been used to capture Russian prisoners of war.
Reuters notes that similar workshops have appeared at various points along the approximately 1,200-kilometer front line. Ukrainian units, facing a shortage of personnel, are trying to gain a technological advantage by assigning more and more dangerous tasks to robots.
This is not limited to combat vehicles. Ground drones transport ammunition and food, evacuate the wounded, and operate in areas where human movement can be deadly due to the high density of drones on the battlefield. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, such systems have carried out more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions this year alone.
Reuters is paying particular attention to the Third Army Corps, which is seeking to expand the use of ground drones. Its commander, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, calls the gradual replacement of infantry with ground robots the next “revolution” in warfare. By the end of the year, the corps plans to replace about one-third of its frontline troops with robotic systems.
“If the West really wants to not just keep up with the times, but stay slightly ahead of them, it needs to think about the next revolution,” Biletsky said.
At the same time, the publication notes, ground drones cannot yet fully replace infantry. They have trouble navigating physical obstacles, are unable to clear buildings or trenches on their own, and are not yet produced on a large enough scale to carry out the same kind of massive attacks as those conducted with aerial drones.
Nevertheless, Ukrainian commanders view them as a way to spare people from the most dangerous work. In the NC13 unit, which Reuters visited in the Kharkiv region, ground vehicles are already regularly operating in coordination with strike drones. Operators control them from a command center, monitoring the battlefield via screens.
According to Biletsky, the proliferation of robotic systems could also change commanders’ tactics, allowing them to conduct risky operations more frequently without the threat of heavy human casualties.
“War is a creative endeavor; it is an art,” he emphasized.
Reuters notes that for Ukrainian military personnel, who previously fought without such technologies, the significance of these changes is particularly palpable. The deputy commander of NC13, whose call sign is “Bar,” is a former infantryman who participated in major battles. According to him, if ground drones had been widely used back then, “many of my friends would still be alive.”