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The battle field is allegedly looking increasingly like a scene from Terminator.
Ukraine is accelerating its use of unmanned technology as the war reshapes how armies operate, and now officials are planning a significant leap in robotic deployment across frontline operations.
According to United24Media, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry intends to contract 25,000 ground robotic systems (UGV’s) in the first half of 2026, according to statements by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on April 18.
The figure represents roughly double the number procured during all of 2025, highlighting a sharp increase in demand.
Fedorov said the plan follows discussions with domestic manufacturers, as Kyiv works to scale production and battlefield integration.
“Our goal — 100% of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” he stated.
It is unclear if the 25,000 UGV’s will replace the same number of soldiers.
Future warfare shift
Ukraine is also expanding related technologies such as demining systems, combat robots and automated turrets.
“Our focus — low-cost and effective strike ground systems that the state can scale quickly,” Fedorov said.
In a recent milestone, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces captured a Russian position using only unmanned systems, forcing troops to surrender without infantry involvement.
Growing battlefield role
Ground robots are already playing a visible role in operations. Ukrainian forces carried out more than 9,000 logistics and evacuation missions in March alone.
In total, around 21,500 such missions were conducted during the first quarter of 2026.
The Defense Procurement Agency has signed 19 contracts worth 11 billion UAH, with further agreements expected as production ramps up.
Officials say procurement is shifting toward longer-term planning to stabilize manufacturing and supply chains.
Sources: Ukraine Defense Ministry statements
