New footage from the war in Ukraine has highlighted the growing role of ground robots on the battlefield, after a remotely operated vehicle evacuating an injured Ukrainian soldier was struck by a Russian drone during a rescue mission.
The video, shared on Monday by Ukraine’s 1st Separate Medical Battalion, shows an uncrewed ground robot transporting a wounded soldier at night before being hit by an aerial drone. Despite the attack, the soldier was safely evacuated without sustaining further injuries.
Robot shields soldier during high-risk evacuation
According to the battalion, the soldier had been injured earlier by a drone-dropped munition and was unable to walk. Reaching him required crossing territory with a strong Russian presence, making a conventional evacuation extremely dangerous.
Medical teams opted to deploy a ground robot operated remotely by Ukrainian soldiers positioned at a safer distance. The planned return route was around 36 miles, and the mission lasted more than three hours.
Soon after the injured soldier was loaded into the robot’s armoured capsule, operators detected an approaching Russian drone. The team chose to continue at maximum speed, but the drone struck the robot on its second attempt, roughly two and a half miles into the journey.
Soldier survives, robot damaged
The battalion said the soldier was protected by the robot’s armoured enclosure and did not suffer any new injuries. The robot itself was damaged but later recovered. The wounded serviceman was evacuated by another Ukrainian unit and is continuing to receive medical treatment.
The footage shows the robot navigating rural terrain, stopping briefly as soldiers secure the injured man inside, before continuing under drone threat. Later clips show the damaged vehicle and the soldier speaking after the rescue.
Growing role of battlefield robots
Ukraine has increasingly relied on uncrewed ground vehicles to carry out tasks deemed too dangerous for humans. These robots are used not only for casualty evacuation but also to transport supplies, lay or clear mines, and carry out attacks on Russian positions.
However, experts warn that such robots also face serious risks. Russian forces routinely target them with drones, and evacuation by robot can sometimes expose wounded soldiers to open terrain.
Despite accounting for less than 1% of Ukraine’s overall drone missions, the use of ground robots is expanding. Western militaries are closely studying Ukraine’s experience as they test and develop their own uncrewed battlefield systems.