Ukraine is mounting weapon stations on unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to create mobile “small tanks” capable of intercepting Russian infiltration teams, according to defense firm Frontline Robotics.
The effort centers on the company’s Buria remote weapon station, originally developed as a fixed turret system and now integrated onto robotic platforms that can maneuver toward enemy positions and engage targets.
Frontline Robotics said the adaptation reflects Ukraine’s growing emphasis on conducting combat operations at a distance while reducing risk to personnel.
“Right now we put our robotic arm on the robotic vehicle and then the two operators, 20, 40, 50 kilometers (12, 25, 31 miles) out of the zone, are driving it … to stop these small groups penetrating even further into our defense,” Mykyta Rozhkov, the company’s chief business development officer, told Business Insider.
Rozhkov added that the company updates its systems up to 20 times a month based on continuous battlefield feedback.
“We don’t even have to ask … it goes directly 24/7 into our inbox,” Rozhkov said.
Supporting ‘Important Mission’
Russian forces have increasingly relied on small infiltration units to move through drone-monitored frontlines, where larger formations are more easily detected and targeted.
In response, Kyiv has expanded its use of tactical UGVs, which offer a lower-cost and more expendable alternative to armored vehicles that remain vulnerable to aerial drone attacks.
Ukrainian units employ the systems across a range of missions, including combat operations, logistics, mine-clearing, and casualty evacuation.
According to Ukrainian defense officials, UGVs have already carried out more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions this year.
“This is really our important mission in order to keep our soldiers safe,” Rozhkov stressed.
