by On the reconnaissance drone’s pixelated video feed, a small four-wheeled robot appears, coming to a halt on top of the Russian bunker before launching with a powerful explosion.
The explosion enveloped the area in a cloud of smoke, ripping leaves from nearby trees and raining debris onto the surrounding trench system.
This is the moment the Ukrainian troops are waiting for. But there is no mass infantry attack or tank charge involved.
Instead, swarms of fully-explosive FPV drones – controlled by Ukrainian soldiers a mile away – seek to exploit the chink in the enemy’s armour, swooping down on the Russians and absorbing them through zigzagging trenches that offer little protection the airborne threat.
The devastating attack represents a new type of warfare being promoted by Ukraine, one that relies more than ever on unmanned and remotely operated robotic systems.
As Kyiv struggles to overcome its manpower shortage, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is pinning his hopes on an army of experimental robots to turn the tide against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
The Telegraph has been given rare access to information about the new types of robots already taking part in combat in Ukraine.
For months, Ukrainian forces have been using the robots for everything from laying bridges, carrying supplies to the front line and evacuating wounded troops.
Ukraine’s unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are the latest development in the drone war that has grown to define the conflict in Ukraine.
The great hope is that these technological developments will save the lives of Ukrainian servants, ease the burden of manpower shortages, which experts warn will get worse before it gets better.
“Unlike the enemy, the key to Ukraine is its people. Technology, especially unmanned ground vehicles, allows to minimize human participation on the battlefield, preserving the life and health of Ukrainian soldiers,” said Nataliia Kushnerska, chief operations officer at Brave 1, the Ukrainian government’s defense innovations platform.
Brave 1 is sifting through hundreds of ideas, blueprints and prototypes submitted by Ukrainian developers who believe they can help.
In March alone, more than 50 robots were sent to the front lines, not many in the official authorisation.
A month earlier, there were reports of Russian infantry trying to capture a Ukrainian bunker outside the Donetsk region city of Avdiivka.
The invaders came under heavy, accurate artillery fire, which was not deterred by an abundance of retaliatory mortar and small arms fire.
When the machine gunner’s position was finally breached, the Russians discovered that their opponent was nothing more than a weed.
It was probably one of four combat robots being slowly rolled out across the front line.
Some are equipped with PKT and PKM 7.62mm caliber machine guns, while others are designed for more heavy-duty operations with 12.7mm Browning machine guns that can engage targets a little more than a mile away.
The UGVs can be fitted with night vision cameras and additional armor to protect them from small arms fire, matching the description of the gunnery robot that confronted advancing Russians outside Avdiivka.
Missions, including attacks, have been carried out with these laptops while their operators are located in underground shelters two and a half miles away.
The fixed, remote Shablya M2 machine gunner is primarily used to replace the long-shift role of Ukrainian soldiers on defensive duties.
Engineers and developers have also taken inspiration from the Ukrainian armed forces’ use of suicidal one-way drones in the skies and waves.
Unmanned ground vehicles – called Ratel-S and Ark-1 – can deliver 40kg of explosives under a tank or into a bunker at speeds of 15mph.
A reusable version can carry and deploy up to two TM-62 anti-tank mines on Russian sites or logistics routes.
Artificially intelligent aiming systems that do not require human interaction are also being developed to counter Russian electronic warfare jammers that break the link between drones and their operators.
More universal logistics robots that can be reused for different tasks have also been tested.
The UGVs with ranges of 25 miles can carry loads of up to 600kg to deliver ammunition to forward locations or safely evacuate a wounded soldier.
Tracked versions are used in rougher conditions, and the wheel design delivers better performance when speed is of the essence.
“Our military is already using them on the front line. We have successful examples of using robots to demolish bridges used by the enemy, deliver supplies to the front lines, evacuate wounded soldiers and damage the enemy,” said Mr. Kushnerska.
Drone warfare is seen as the only way Ukraine can overcome Russia’s numerical advantage because of its willingness to absorb mass casualties.
The use of aerial, naval and ground drones has been increased in response to the slow delivery of Western weapons systems by Kyiv’s supporters abroad.
British intelligence officials estimated that 500,000 Russians were killed or wounded in the war, in a social media post published on Friday.
Both Ukraine and NATO are against this level of human waste, which officials in Kyiv believe will eventually see Western militaries accept their technological establishment.
At least 21 of the robots being tested on the front lines are “coded to NATO standards”, Mr Kushnerska said.
“We are confident that unmanned ground vehicles will be the next game changer in this war, just as drones already are. This is our asymmetric response to the enemy’s numerical advantage,” she said.
