The image was almost frightening within the gray area of ​​Liman, on the front line in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

A 77-year-old woman, who saw her home completely destroyed after 53 years, walked for hours trying to save herself. While she was on the road, a Ukrainian ground robot approached her, with the phrase “Grandma, come up!” written on its camouflage. The rescue operation on April 25, organized by the 3rd Army Corps and the Cerberus unit with the help of a reconnaissance drone, highlighted the new reality on the front. As the airspace was filled with Russian drones, any conventional evacuation operation with human resources was impossible.

However, the use of these systems is no longer a last resort, but an official military doctrine. Ukraine’s unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are dual-purpose, carrying out ammunition transport, casualty evacuation, and civilian rescue operations in the same week. According to Heorhiy Khvistani, chief of staff of the 58th Brigade’s Unmanned Systems Battalion, the doctrine of these new forces (SBS) includes mine laying, support, engineering, and evacuation missions. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that in March alone, more than 9,000 missions were carried out with ground robots, setting a clear goal for 100% automation of frontline logistics.

To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Defense has already signed contracts for 25,000 ground robots in the first half of 2026, more than double the total production last year. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of a total of 50,000 units this year, forming a robotic force larger than the conventional armies of some allied countries. The main goal is to minimize the risk to the workforce. The results are already visible in the units' reports, as the General Staff of Ukraine attributes the robotic platforms to reducing personnel losses by up to 30%.

Operations are now being recorded daily. On the same day the elderly woman was rescued, the “Lut” brigade used a UGV to evacuate a wounded soldier after a Russian ambush. Earlier that month, the 1st Medical Battalion completed six robotic evacuations of the wounded in a single day, with two vehicles covering a total of about 300 kilometers. As Ukrainian commanders emphasize, autonomous technology is not just a weapon, but a tool that takes the burden off people, ensuring that their lives are protected and their time is used to make critical decisions.