Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Ukraine keeps finding new ways to conduct drone warfare.
Ukrainian marines have pulled off a rare cross-river raid by flying an armed ground robot straight over the Dnipro River.
On November 12, Ukraine’s 426th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment called it their first such airdrop.
During the operation, a heavy Perun aerial drone carried the wheeled vehicle across the water and released it on the Russian-held eastern bank.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, the 7-kilogram bomb-carrying robot landed with full radio control.
Once its wheels hit the dirt, the small vehicle rolled toward a building used by Russian drone crews.
Eyes in the sky
Behind the scenes, several specialized teams worked together to guide the advance. The 426th Regiment paired its ground robotics platoon with crews flying reconnaissance drones, aerial bombers, and first-person-view attack drones steered through live video feeds.
As the ground vehicle pushed forward, its onboard cameras and overhead spotter drones picked up other nearby Russian positions.
Ukrainian operators quickly directed explosive drone strikes onto those newly spotted targets.
Eventually, the rolling robot reached the doorway of the Russian drone operators’ shelter.
Just as a Russian soldier stepped outside, the remote pilot triggered the warhead, and a follow-up attack drone finished destroying the building.
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No troops lost
Cameras recorded every stage of the strike from start to finish. Better yet, the Ukrainian Navy confirmed that not a single Ukrainian service member was killed or injured during the cross-river operation.
That emphasis on keeping soldiers out of danger reflects a much wider shift across the battlefield.
According to UNITED24 Media, Ukrainian forces completed a record 31,398 supply and medical evacuation runs using ground robots in October alone.
By handing risky river crossings and frontline deliveries over to machines, commanders are rewriting the rules of combat. And the technology is only getting bolder.
