New video footage shows a ground robot that was transporting an injured Ukrainian soldier being hit by a Russian drone.
Rescuing soldiers is an example of how Ukraine uses its growing ground robot fleet, along with moving supplies, laying and removing mines, and firing at and blowing up Russian targets. But it’s a risky move that can put the soldier in even more danger.
Ukraine’s 1st Separate Medical Battalion shared the video on Monday, stating that the soldier was safely rescued and the robot protected him from any additional injuries during the 3-hour and 25-minute mission.
It said it was rescuing a casualty who was injured by a drone drop and unable to walk by himself. Reaching him meant navigating territory with a significant Russian presence. The planned return journey was 36 miles.
They decided to send the robot, the battalion said, which is controlled from afar by soldiers who can stay in safer positions. This is when Ukraine typically uses them: Where it’s too unsafe for humans to go.
The robot detected a Russian drone soon after the injured soldier was loaded on, the battalion said. The team decided to continue moving at maximum speed, but the drone hit the robot on its second attempt, two and a half miles into the journey.
The soldier did not get any new injuries from the attack, as he was contained in the robot’s armored capsule, but the robot was damaged, the battalion said.
He was evacuated by another Ukrainian unit nearby and got the treatment he needed, it said. The robot was also recovered. Business Insider was unable to independently verify the event.
The footage shows a robot moving through rural areas at nighttime and then stopping, with soldiers helping their injured comrade onto it, closing a lid to create a protected space. The robot then continues driving, but aerial footage appears to show an explosion over the robot.
The video then shows the wounded soldier speaking after the mission, along with footage of the damaged robot. The battalion said his treatment is continuing.
A host of companies are developing Ukraine’s robot fleet, and innovation is rapid, with soldiers even updating them on the battlefield.
However, they are risky, particularly if they lack cages like the one in this attack. Robots are targets for Russia’s swarms of watching drones.
Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine’s Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, previously told Business Insider that using robots can actually put the soldier at greater risk, as it takes them from where they may have been able to hide or be with comrades.
They use humans for evacuations where possible, and robots as a last resort.
The robots conduct less than 1% of Ukraine’s drone missions, but their use is growing. And the West is testing and prototyping based on what Ukraine is learning.
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