Ukrainian robot soldier ‘wipes out 20 Russian troops’: Footage shows machinegun attack on ‘shelter where Putin’s forces were sheltering’
Ukrainian forces have released footage of an unmanned ground vehicle killing 20 Russian soldiers who had taken shelter in a building, according to defence technology firm DevDroid, which manufactures the robot. The strike highlights the growing role of remote-controlled ground systems in the war, allowing Ukrainian troops to engage Russian positions without exposing themselves to direct fire, as Kyiv seeks to reduce casualties and preserve manpower.
The operation was carried out by soldiers from Ukraine's 44th Separate Mechanized Brigade using a Droid TW-12.7 unmanned ground vehicle, fitted with a 12.7mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun, cameras and AI-assisted targeting systems. Operators remotely guided the robot towards a building where Russian troops were sheltering before opening fire, destroying the position. The incident comes as Ukraine aims to build at least 50,000 combat robots, with similar unmanned systems recently used to attack positions near Dobropillia and along the Kinburn Spit, and to help capture surrendering Russian soldiers without any Ukrainian infantry present.
- Ukrainian ground robot allegedly killed 20 Russian troops sheltering in a building
- Droid TW-12.7 used a remote-operated heavy machine gun and cameras
- Part of Ukraine's push to deploy 50,000 combat robots on the frontline
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Ukraine has increasingly turned to unmanned ground vehicles, essentially small remote-controlled machines fitted with weapons and cameras, to fight parts of its war with Russia without putting soldiers directly in the line of fire. These robots are operated from a safe distance, letting troops attack enemy positions while reducing the risk of casualties on their own side.
The vehicle involved is made by a Ukrainian defence firm and is armed with a heavy machine gun and AI-assisted targeting equipment, operated remotely by soldiers from a Ukrainian army unit. Ukraine has said it wants to build tens of thousands of such combat robots, reflecting a broader push to use robotics and remote systems as manpower and equipment losses mount after years of war.
This fits into a wider pattern of unmanned systems being used on the battlefield, including in other recent operations against Russian positions, as both sides adapt tactics in a conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.