BBC:
“The toy is delivered,” a Ukrainian soldier whispers into the radio.
In the dead of night, he and his partner move quickly to roll out their cargo from a van. Speed is crucial as they are within the range of deadly Russian drones.
The fifth brigade’s new “toy” is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), a robot that provides a lifeline for Ukrainian troops at the front in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, a strategic hub in eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces are relentlessly trying to cut off Ukraine’s supply routes in the area.
Without fresh food and ammunition, Ukraine’s frontline soldiers would face a choice of either surrender or a costly retreat.
Kyiv has sent special forces, elite assault units and drone groups to reinforce its troops in and around Pokrovsk, but Russia’s grip on routes into the city means going in with armoured vehicles would bring almost certain death.
Transporting heavy supplies on foot would be just as dangerous.
This is where the robot, also known as a land drone, comes in place of traditional troop deployments.
The battle of Pokrovsk will probably go down in history as the first in which unmanned ground vehicles were used on a mass scale, largely to deliver supplies and evacuate wounded.
The robot is small enough to squeeze into a bicycle lane and looks like a mini tank without a turret.
UGVs are difficult to spot, they are harder to jam than an aerial drone and, most importantly, soldiers can operate them remotely from a safer location.
They save soldiers’ lives and are the future of the army, according to Ihor, the head of unmanned systems for the 7th Corps of the Ukrainian army.
About 90% of all supplies for Pokrovsk frontline are now delivered by UGVs, he says.
