Ukrainian troops turn robots into battlefield game-changers

Ukrainian troops are pushing the boundaries of battlefield innovation by creatively adapting ground-based robotic systems supplied by foreign defense firms. 

Estonian defense technology company Milrem Robotics reports that its autonomous ground vehicles are being deployed by Ukrainian forces in unexpected and inventive ways, underscoring their battlefield utility, Caliber.Az reports via Business Insider. 

Kuldar Väärsi, the firm’s founder and CEO, said that “Ukrainian troops are really creative, and they really find very simple ways how to get even more out of the equipment,” which includes attaching custom enhancements to the robots.

Milrem’s flagship THeMIS platform, now operational in Ukraine, can haul up to 2,645 pounds at speeds reaching 12 miles per hour. The modular system can be configured for roles like reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, mine clearance, and fire support. AI-enabled navigation allows the robots to carry heavy payloads and perform high-risk operations closer to Russian lines than human soldiers typically dare to venture.

Oleksandr Yabchanka, head of robotic systems for Ukraine’s Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, confirmed his unit uses ground robots to lay mines, recover fallen soldiers, and conduct detonations near enemy forces. He likened the gear’s modularity to “Lego sets,” explaining that a single vehicle can be rapidly reconfigured to meet mission demands.

Väärsi stressed that while unmanned systems are not yet ubiquitous across all Ukrainian units, they are proving indispensable in leveling the playing field. “If you give a tool to a soldier, then he will use it as it seems most appropriate,” he said, emphasizing the life-and-death context. “This war has demonstrated that unmanned ground vehicles have a really important place on the battlefield.”

Founded in 2013 well before Russia’s 2022 invasion, Milrem faced early skepticism about the practical applications of its robots. The conflict has validated the investment and driven rapid product refinements. The company is now deepening its on-the-ground involvement by setting up a local team in Ukraine to work more closely with frontline operators.

Milrem joins a growing ranks of both Ukrainian and Western firms—such as Roboneers, FRDM, Germany’s ARX Robotics, and Czechia’s Isolit‑Bravo - engaged in battlefield robotics, as Russia similarly escalates its own development of unmanned combat systems.

By Naila Huseynova