Ukrainian forces need more holistic services for their ground robots to support combat operations, not just new models, two unit commanders told Business Insider.
The Ukrainian market is saturated with different types of uncrewed ground vehicles, or UGVs — inexpensive, tracked robots increasingly used instead of humans for dangerous missions.
“We have a lot of platforms now. We have a lot of different UGVs,” Andrii Kushnierov, a platoon leader with Ukraine’s 59th Assault Brigade, told Business Insider.
Kushnierov said that while the market is constantly investing in new platforms, what Ukraine really needs is “solutions” — cheap UGVs and add-on services such as communications and training.
A complete solution would include the UGV, as well as training, modification, repair, maintenance, and analytics services, Kushnierov said, adding that creating a platform “is not enough.”
He recalled that, at one point earlier in the war, his unit received 40 or 50 different types of Ukrainian- and foreign-made UGVs. Only one model was ready for combat right out of the box; the rest required some modification. He said that the situation remains similar today.
Four years ago, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, only a few Ukrainian companies made UGVs.
Now, nearly 300 companies produce 550 different kinds of UGVs for missions such as logistics, casualty evacuation, and demining, among other tasks, Andrii Hrytseniuk, CEO of the Ukrainian state-backed innovation platform Brave1, told Business Insider.
That exponential growth reflects a dramatic push by Ukraine to field UGVs in combat. The country contracted 25,000 in the first half of 2026, twice as many as in 2025, and plans for industry to make 50,000 by year’s end.
Ukrainian-made UGVs have logged more than 50,000 missions since January, and officials want robots to eventually handle 100% of logistics as the battlefield becomes increasingly deadly for human soldiers. The front-line kill zone where drones are always watching is expanding, making supply runs much more difficult.
Ukrainian companies are routinely developing new UGV models and modifying existing ones to improve their survivability in combat. Grek, a UGV company commander in the 21st Unmanned Systems “Kraken” Regiment, said these new models can’t be ignored.
However, he told Business Insider, “considering the list of UGVs that we already have, it is more effective to focus on the next iterations of these systems and on standardization of spare parts and modules.”
Grek said standardization saves time on procurement and repairs, which “directly affects the effectiveness of combat operations. It also accelerates the training process and improves operator proficiency.”
For units working in the same sector of the battlefield, standardization could improve their ability to interact. For instance, if operators use the same UGV, field repairs become easier because everyone has the same spare parts, Grek said. If a friendly robot broke down near his position, his team could quickly assist.
“There are situations when systems fail during missions, and allied units are nearby. In such cases, we support and help each other,” he said.
Ukrainian soldiers and officials have commended UGVs for their role in battle, describing logistics as impossible without these tools. The robots are cheap — some models cost as little as $2,000 — and expendable; some might only survive a handful of combat missions.
Kushnierov said UGVs are most valuable when delivering ammunition or fuel in place of humans. Any vehicle carrying this cargo that drives into an area saturated with Russian drones risks a potentially fatal strike. In some areas, it’s all but guaranteed.
“You will not survive,” Kushnierov said. “100%.”
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