Russia is Fielding Increasingly Unusual Ground Drones as Ukraine’s Robot War Evolves
Russia has increasingly been trialing new types of ground drones as Ukraine’s robot war heats up. Designs include a “dronobus” for fiber optic drones, a chair on a buggy, and a box on wheels. Russian officials say they want to exponentially scale up ground combat drone production.
Ukraine’s drone industry has developed a wide array of new uncrewed ground vehicles but Russian forces are innovating with their own designs, too.
While Moscow has been testing remote ground-based weapons since the early years of the war, a wider variety of rudimentary – and sometimes unusual – designs have been emerging this summer.
Take, such as, a remote-controlled four-wheel buggy that pro-Russian Telegram channels called an “assault” Termit drone from a battalion of the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army.
Rather of a weapons system, it’s fitted with a chair that can accommodate a single soldier. Its rear can stow weapons, food, and water containers, the popular Russian Telegram channel Military Informant wrote in a post on Wednesday.
Notably, this Termit drone variant leaves the soldier completely exposed.
Another unique type of Russian logistics ground drone was recently filmed by a Ukrainian first-person-view drone. A clip published on Sunday by Ukrainian drone crowdfunding activist Serhii Sternenko shows that the Russian design essentially featured an open box on wheels.
Sternenko wrote that the ground drone was destroyed and was transporting provisions near the front lines.
On Thursday, a russian page dedicated to armor and artillery systems published schematics of a tracked, uncrewed multiple-launch rocket system that can fire 10 munitions at once.
The page, Bvtv.Info, wrote that the ground drone was being developed by a Moscow-based engineering firm.The drone appears to resemble the TOS-1A, a Soviet multiple-launch rocket system mounted on a tank chassis and operated by a th
Russia and Ukraine Expand Use of Ground-Based Combat Drones
both Russia and Ukraine are rapidly developing and deploying ground-based drones, reflecting a growing reliance on robotic systems in the ongoing conflict. These systems are being utilized for a variety of roles, including reconnaissance, evacuation, delivering firepower, and intelligence gathering, as both sides seek a technological edge.
Russia is reportedly developing the “Dronobus,” a platform capable of carrying two fiber optic drones with 15-km cables, according to a report by TASS https://tass.com/defense/1788499. this growth builds on previous efforts to create ground-based drones, such as a tracked platform equipped with the Kornet anti-tank missile system tested in March 2023. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov stated in April that Russian firms and volunteer organizations have already developed “several hundred ground robotic systems,” with plans to substantially increase production this year.
Ukraine is also heavily investing in ground-based robotic systems, referred to by officials as “iron soldiers.” These drones are being used to target enemy positions, evacuate casualties, gather intelligence, and deliver explosives https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-ground-robots-get-intel-russia-can-be-foiled-grass-2025-7. The increased reliance on these systems is driven by Ukraine’s reported troop disadvantage, with officials stating they are outnumbered three to one by Russian forces.
The expansion of ground drone capabilities on both sides highlights the evolving nature of modern warfare and the increasing importance of uncrewed systems on the battlefield https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-experimenting-ukraine-robot-war-rocket-launcher-hoverboard-buggy-2025-8.