(UKRAINE) – A Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle held a frontline combat position for 45 days, illustrating the growing role of robotics in the war with Russia and the effort by Ukrainian forces to reduce risks to soldiers.
The drone belongs to NC13, a strike company specialising in unmanned ground systems within the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“This is the drone that held combat positions for 45 days. The future is already here,” a member of the unit said in a video released by the brigade describing the mission.
The ground system used in the operation is called Droid TWW127. According to the unit, its task was to support infantry in a difficult sector where Russian forces were attempting to advance in small assault groups.
“Our task was to support the infantry,” a soldier said. “It was a difficult sector where the enemy was trying to advance in small assault groups toward our positions.”
The unit was ordered to reinforce Ukrainian infantry with equipment and weapons delivered by the drone system. Operators established a control point and prepared the position before deploying the robot.
The drone was then rotated into combat duty, where it helped repel Russian assaults over a period of 45 days.
Company commanders say the use of robots allows soldiers to reduce direct exposure to danger. “Robots do not bleed,” the commander said, noting that preserving manpower remains a key priority for Ukraine given the imbalance of forces on the battlefield.
The strike unmanned ground vehicle direction is one of the newest branches in the wider field of robotic warfare. Ukrainian operators say the area remains one of the least studied but has considerable potential.
“At the same time, its potential can expand to almost any limit depending on the imagination of the team behind it,” the commander said.
Every day the NC13 unit conducts missions in the operational sector of the 3rd Assault Brigade, which is now part of the 3rd Army Corps.
Their tasks include diversionary operations behind Russian lines, destruction of command posts and launch positions, attacks on staging areas and ambushes along logistics routes.
Operators say the fact that a robot was able to hold a position for 45 days suggests that some parts of the front line could in future be defended without placing soldiers directly at risk.
The drones are controlled using widely available equipment. In some cases operators use a PlayStation 5 gaming controller to drive and operate the systems.
“All you need to operate them is to know how to handle a gaming controller,” one operator said. “In this case, PlayStation 5.”
The unit emphasises simplicity in equipment design. Operators say using common components speeds production and reduces costs.
“We use everything that can be used. The simpler it is the better,” a soldier explained. “Producing something unique or specialised takes too long or costs too much.”
Many everyday items are adapted for military use. Operators say soldiers with gaming experience can quickly learn how to drive the robots.
“If someone has played video games before, they take this controller and they already know how to drive it,” a unit member said.
Driving and shooting are considered relatively simple tasks. Mission planning and coordination remain the most complex parts of the operation.
“Planning the mission, thinking it through, preparing it and executing it. That is the most important part and the hardest,” a soldier said.
The technology is often developed in improvised workshops close to the front line.
“On the outside it may seem like an ordinary garage,” a member of the team said. “But this is a workshop for ground drones where innovative defence technology solutions are being adjusted and repaired.”
One such workshop supports a platoon commander known as Ladika, whose team specialises in explosive ground drones designed for large scale destruction.
The drones can destroy crossings or demolish buildings when necessary.
In one operation, a Russian unit fortified inside a trench was targeted by ground drones.
The Ukrainian team planned to deploy four systems. The first was detonated near the entrance to the position.
When the second drone was moved toward the entrance, operators delayed detonation after noticing that the Russian soldiers had barricaded themselves inside.
As the drone moved into place, aerial reconnaissance transmitted a live video feed showing the Russian soldiers had drawn a sign indicating they wanted to surrender.
“The enemy had drawn a sign. It said we want to surrender,” an operator said.
Ukrainian infantry then approached the shelter, carried out a standard clearing procedure and secured the position without firing a shot.
Operators say the incident demonstrates how unmanned systems can perform tasks that would otherwise expose infantry to risk.
“This is a test proving that unmanned ground systems can take over part of the infantry’s job and over time more of it,” the soldier said.
One device used by the unit is called Tanka, an anti tank mine carrying around seven kilograms of explosives.
According to operators, Russian forces often attach similar mines to aerial drones. Ukrainian units instead deploy them using ground systems.
The NC13 unit is led by former assault troops and sappers from the brigade, soldiers with extensive frontline experience.
In 2025 the brigade recorded the highest rate of successful unmanned ground vehicle deployment among Ukrainian formations.
Commanders say the unit aims to remain at the forefront of ground drone development in Ukraine’s military.
“I am used to turning ideas into reality and bringing them into the combat zone,” one commander said.
The unit plans to expand its capabilities in 2026 with large scale robotic assaults designed to support infantry operations and potentially capture sections of the front line.
“We plan to show the world what large scale robotic assaults look like,” the commander said. “UGVs can not only contain the enemy or support infantry but conduct assaults, capture sections of the front line and storm populated areas.”
“That is our goal for 2026 and we intend to carry it out.”
