Crude ground robots emerge on the battlefields of Ukraine, experts say

MILAN — As armed aerial drones and artillery threaten troop movements on the front lines in Ukraine , experts are beginning to see crude ground robots whizz over the battlefield to resupply soldiers.

The systems observed so far in shaky footage distributed on social media appear to be designed for logistics, obviating the need for soldiers to venture from their foxholes. A Kremlin-affiliated Telegram channel recently published a clip purporting to show a Russian unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, delivering supplies to front-line troops while avoiding strikes by Ukrainian mini-drones and transporting a wounded soldier, though the evacuation is never clearly shown.

“Because of so many drones operating in the air, both surveillance and first-person-view ones, moving around has become very difficult for both sides,” Sam Bendett, research analyst at the U.S.-based Center for Naval Analyses think tank, told Defense News. “So regular tasks like logistics, supply and evacuation are in danger of getting discovered and attacked by drones.”

In response, Ukrainian and Russian forces are fielding “simple, DIY platforms” for such tasks, Bendett added.

Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis think tank, said it appears Russia’s 87th Rifle Regiment recorded the video. That regiment currently operates in the industrial area south of Avdiivka, Ukraine.

“This UGV appears as a simple, almost artisanal system rather than an industrially produced one. The Telegram channel also shows pictures of suspensions, rubber tracks and engine components bought off the shelf and delivered directly to units in Ukraine,” he added.

Both experts agree that based on the looks of the platform, it may have been assembled by soldiers or volunteers on the front lines. Bendett noted that other similar DIY projects, both tracked and wheeled, are currently undergoing tests by Russian troops as logistics platforms.

While it’s unclear whether the makeshift robots could transport a wounded soldier, the analysts said that the one seen in the video could in theory do the job.

“The vehicle’s basic design seems to be approximately 1.5 meters in length and 1.20 meters in width, with two extensible plates on the front and rear of the middle section to carry a single soldier,” Borsari said.

Russia’s recent experiments with ground robots could signal a trend, he added. “The vast array of UGV prototypes that Russian companies are working on is a clear signal that Moscow considers this segment as an important one for its future military capabilities.”

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——随着武装无人机和火炮威胁乌克兰前线部队的行动，专家们开始看到简陋的地面机器人飞驰在战场上，为士兵提供补给。

从社交媒体上流传的模糊视频来看，这些系统似乎是为后勤保障而设计的，旨在避免士兵离开战壕。一个与克里姆林宫有关联的Telegram频道最近发布了一段视频，声称视频中一辆俄罗斯无人地面车辆（UGV）正在向前线部队运送物资，同时躲避乌克兰小型无人机的袭击，并运送一名受伤士兵，但撤离过程并未清晰展现。

“由于空中有大量无人机活动，包括侦察无人机和第一人称视角无人机，双方的行动都变得非常困难，”美国海军分析中心智库的研究分析师萨姆·本德特告诉《防务新闻》。“因此，像后勤、补给和撤离这样的常规任务都面临着被无人机发现和攻击的风险。”

本德特补充说，作为回应，乌克兰和俄罗斯军队正在部署“简易的DIY平台”来执行此类任务。

华盛顿智库欧洲政策分析中心的研究员费德里科·博尔萨里表示，这段视频似乎是由俄罗斯第87步兵团拍摄的。该团目前驻扎在乌克兰阿夫迪伊夫卡以南的工业区。

“这辆无人地面车辆看起来像是一个简易的、近乎手工制作的系统，而不是工业化生产的。Telegram频道上还展示了悬挂系统、橡胶履带和发动机部件的图片，这些部件都是从市场上直接购买并运送到乌克兰各单位的，”他补充道。

两位专家一致认为，根据平台的外观判断，它可能是前线士兵或志愿者组装的。本德特指出，其他类似的自制项目，包括履带式和轮式，目前正在接受俄罗斯军队的测试，作为后勤平台使用。

虽然目前还不清楚这些临时机器人是否能够运送受伤的士兵，但分析人士表示，视频中出现的那个机器人理论上可以完成这项工作。

博尔萨里说：“该车辆的基本设计似乎长约 1.5 米，宽约 1.20 米，中间部分的前后各有两个可伸缩的板，可以搭载一名士兵。”

他补充说，俄罗斯近期在地面机器人方面的试验可能预示着一种趋势。“俄罗斯公司正在研发的大量无人地面车辆原型清楚地表明，莫斯科认为这一领域对其未来的军事能力至关重要。”

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。