‘Robots Don’t Bleed’: Ukraine Sends Machines To Battlefield To Prevent More Loss Of Its Soldiers

Last Updated:April 20, 2026, 16:13 IST

Ukraine deploys land robots and drones in battle against Russia, capturing positions and prisoners without infantry, commanders say robots now replace soldiers in many operations.

The Russia-Ukraine war which has continued for four years has now taken a new turn. Instead of soldiers, Ukraine for the first time has deployed robots into the battlefield.

Last week, AFP reported that a Ukrainian unit has claimed to have carried out more than 100 attacks on the front using ground robots. The mission was lauded by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking during a Defence Industry Worker Day address, he said, “For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms—ground systems and drones. The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side."

“In total, there have already been over 100 such operations," AFP quoted a source within the NC-13 company. “These operations include the elimination of enemy personnel, the destruction of shelters, command posts, and other enemy infrastructure objects. These are no longer isolated incidents, but systematic combat operations."

According to CNN, Ukraine has started using land robots and drones controlled by a pilot from the safety of a position miles away from the front line.

“The position was taken without a single shot being fired," Mykola “Makar" Zinkevych, the commander of the Ukrainian unit that conducted the mission, told the media outlet. Besides being in the “NC13" unit of Ukraine’s Third Separate Assault Brigade, he is responsible for handling ground-based, robotic strike systems.

He said that the use of robots was used last year for the first time in history in which an enemy position was stormed and prisoners taken by ground robots and drones without the involvement of infantry. Since then, the military has been using robots in most battles instead of human soldiers.

“Human life is priceless, whereas robots do not bleed. Based on this, my position is that robotic ground systems need to be developed much faster, on a much larger scale, and implemented as a global system for use on the battlefield," he said.

Use of Land Drones

Since the beginning of war in 2022, Ukraine’s skies above the front lines have been covered with drones. Seeing this, the government began its experiments with land drones and ground robotic systems that were typically used to evacuate casualties and resupply troops.

Land drones are remotely controlled vehicles that run on wheels or tracks. According to CNN, land drones are much harder to spot and intercept than larger military vehicles and they can even operate in all weather conditions and carry much larger payloads. Besides, they are more durable and have a longer battery life.

“We must understand that we will never have more personnel, and we will never have a numerical advantage over the enemy," Zinkevych said, highlighting Russia’s far larger military force. “So, we need to achieve this advantage through technology."

News world ‘Robots Don’t Bleed’: Ukraine Sends Machines To Battlefield To Prevent More Loss Of Its Soldiers

Read More