Ukraine reports threefold increase in ground robot operations as unmanned systems assume more frontline logistics missions.
Ukraine’s deployment of ground robotic systems (GRS) has increased more than threefold since the beginning of 2026, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reported.
Data from the country’s DELTA combat system show that the robots carried out 25,143 logistics and evacuation missions across the front in August, up from 7,511 in January.
The monthly figure increased steadily throughout the year, reaching 11,028 missions in April, 16,664 in June, and 19,940 in July.
By early September, DELTA had recorded approximately 112,000 ground robot missions since the beginning of 2026.
The systems operate in dangerous frontline areas, delivering ammunition, water, and food while evacuating wounded troops without exposing additional personnel to enemy fire.
First Tender Opens
As ground robots take on more frontline work, the defense ministry is also moving to expand and stabilize their supply.
Its Defense Procurement Agency recently opened the first tender for systems that meet tactical and technical requirements set by the ministry.
The procurement covers logistics robots for transporting cargo and evacuating casualties, as well as strike platforms capable of engaging designated targets.
To qualify, the systems must cross rough terrain, maintain reliable remote-control links, and transmit live video and operational data to their controllers.
“The tender will be held according to a system that has already proven its effectiveness. The complexes are divided into classes according to operating range and cargo weight,” said Mstislav Banik, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister.
Keeping Robots on the Front
Each class will contain four or five contract lots, with any single manufacturer limited to half of the orders in that category.
The structure is intended to draw in multiple suppliers, increase competition, and prevent disruptions from cutting off deliveries to frontline units.
Banik described ground robots as indispensable, saying some missions can no longer be performed without them.
“Tendering is one of the best tools for this, because we can purchase more equipment for the same money, minimize the risk of supply disruptions by distributing orders among different manufacturers,” Banik added.
Source: Drone Front
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