Ukraine has begun using flying drones and drone boats to deliver armed ground robots directly into combat, allowing slower wheeled units to bypass difficult terrain and Russian defences. The tactic reflects the Ukrainian military's continued efforts to combine drones and ground robots to offset Russia's manpower advantage while keeping soldiers out of dangerous assaults, and marks another step in the rapid evolution of robotic warfare on the front line.

On 19 July, a Russian Telegram channel shared footage of a Ukrainian hexacopter drone lowering a four-wheeled ARK-1 robot armed with anti-tank mines near Russian positions, though the outcome of that mission remains unclear. Separately, during an operation on 25 June targeting the contested Kinburn Spit peninsula, a Ukrainian drone boat landed a machine gun-armed robot that took part in fighting before Ukrainian forces planted a flag on the site, an act one defence analyst called impressive but not yet ready for large-scale combat use. Ukraine's military robotic missions have more than doubled since the start of the year, rising from roughly 7,500 in January to over 16,600 in June, covering tasks such as supply runs, casualty evacuation, mine clearance and direct combat.