Vladimir Putin is set to face a new army on the frontline in Ukraine, made up not of flesh and bone, but of metal and silicon.

Robots equipped with machine guns will be deployed to battle alongside soldiers, against Russia’s army, in what may seem like something from the realm of science fiction.

In fact, it is very real.

With no end to the bloodshed in sight, squads of on-the-ground robotics will help troops, who are ravaged by physical and psychological exhaustion and sometimes unable to rotate to the rear.

They will provide logistical support, battlefield reconnaissance, direct combat and even self-sacrifice in the most perilous missions.

The first robots were deployed in January 2024, marking the dawn of a new era in modern warfare.

Ivan Stupak, a former officer in the Security Service of Ukraine and now an adviser to the parliament’s national security, defence and intelligence committee, told Metro.co.uk that Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers face deepening problems on the frontline because of how greatly outnumbered they are.

Russia’s population of 144 million versus the 37 million in Ukraine has given Putin an unmatchable advantage in the war.

Mr Stupak hopes that the robots will give Ukraine another advantage, just like the navy and aerial drones have.

He said: ‘We are not able to produce any tanks, for example. Our facilities in the Kharkiv region were destroyed.

‘So we started to experiment with aerial and navy drones. The next step is ground drones.

‘In the beginning, their role was to assist medics to evacuate the wounded on the battlefield and collect the bodies of those killed.

‘The ground drones could reach them and then literally drag them to a safe place.

‘Then we started using them to lay mines. To give you context, they are 4×4 cars – just like children’s toys – with a conveyor.’

Ukraine has already invested a lot of money into the unmanned tech, but more is required.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky launched a dedicated fundraiser to for the terrestrial robotic platforms during the second anniversary of his charity UNITED24. This is what we know about the new machinery.

Combat robots

Made of armour and built to withstand small arms fire, this futuristic ‘Ironclad’ machinery closely resembles mini tanks.

They appear similar to children’s radio-controlled cars – just like in Home Alone Three – but are used entirely for military purposes.

These robots work together as a coordinated swarm. They are designed for remote combat missions, like assault or defence of positions, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Meanwhile, operators remain in shelters, at a distance of up to two miles away.

They are equipped with PKT and PKM belt-fed general-purpose machine guns of 7.62mm caliber, and NSVT and M2 Browning machine guns of 12.7mm caliber.

Such robots can hit targets at a distance of just over a mile. Some are equipped with thermographic cameras for nighttime combat.

Four models of combat robots have been approved for use by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence – the SHABLYA M2, LYUT, MOROZ and D-11. 

‘The main strategy is to use these robots to get as close as possible to Russian positions and then start firing at them with the machine guns mounted on top,’ Mr Stupak said.

‘It is a great idea. The problem is that Ukraine is not able to produce that many of these combat robots.

‘We are operating in emergency mode at all times. So conducting testing is very difficult.

‘Plus, many of the parts are produced in China, so transportation of some of them can be hard

‘Funding is also an issue, which is why UNITED24 has launched this fundraiser.’

Self-destructive robots and minelayers

So-called kamikaze robots (ARK 1) are designed to destroy targets – primarily, enemy armored vehicles – on the battlefield.

They can carry up to two TM-62 anti-tank mines or up to 40 kg of payload, and accelerate up to a speed of up to 15 miles per hour.

RATEL S robots can mine enemy positions and logistical routes with anti-tank devices remotely. Meanwhile, their operators are based about three miles away.

Mr Stupak praised the minelayers, adding: ‘This means out soldiers will not have to risk being shot by Russian snipers to lay mines. These robots are just a piece of metal with radio control. It is all very simple and safe.

‘One flaw is that it could be destroyed by Russia’s electronic warfare. They can be jammed. But our engineers are working to improve them.’

Logistical robots

Logistics robots Volia-E (Will-E), Ratel H, Termit, Rys Pro (Lynx Pro), KNLR-E and Sirko-S1 are tasked with bringing ammunition to military positions and installing electronic warfare.

Ukraine is racing to produce the army of robots as they can also evacuate the wounded from the frontline. They can transport up to 600kg of cargo.

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