Ukraine Drones Hit Russian Hideout in War’s First Unmanned Ground Attack

What’s New

Ukrainian forces have carried out their first front line ground attack using only unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and first-person view (FPV) drones without relying on infantry, it has been reported.

The head of a Ukrainian brigade said that the attack on an unspecified date had destroyed Russian positions near Lyptsi, a village in the Kharkiv region.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

Why it matters

Drones on the battlefield will continue to play an increasingly important role for Ukrainian forces to offset troop shortages and the prospect of dwindling foreign military aid in 2025.

Russian forces are maintaining battlefield momentum along the front having made gains in the Donetsk region where they are bearing down upon the logistics hub of Pokrovsk. It means that technological innovation will become even more critical for Ukraine to fight Russian aggression.

What we know

Spokesman for the Charter Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, Sergeant Volodymyr Degtyarev, said Friday that Ukrainian forces had conducted their first ground attack exclusively using robotic systems.

He said Ukrainian troops used UGVs equipped with machine guns and UGVs laid and cleared mines along parts of the front near Lyptsi by the Russian border.

Ukraine used “dozens” of robotic and unmanned vehicles simultaneously on a small section of the front, he told the Ukrainian outlet Suspilne, according to a translation. “Whoever uses new technology will have an advantage,” he said.

“The pace of assimilation is important here, and it depends on support and resources so that the team can quickly develop its own workshops, engineers and quickly adapt the technology,” he added.

What people are saying

Spokesman for the Charter Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, Sergeant Volodymyr Degtyarev said: “Whoever uses new technology will have an advantage.”

The Institute for the Study of War said: “Ukraine also continues to innovate aerial drone production.”

What happens next

The operation in the Kharkiv oblast comes as Russian forces are trying to expand the bridgehead near the Oskil River in the region.

Ukrainian troops managed to stop two columns of Russian equipment in this area on Wednesday, Ukraine’s General Staff reported.

Kyiv is likely to expand its use of its domestically-produced drones which are likely to be key going into the New Year as it faces troop shortages.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Ukrainian officials are emphasizing Ukraine’s technological innovations and asymmetrical strike capabilities “to offset Ukraine’s manpower limitations” in contrast to Russia’s “willingness to accept unsustainable casualty rates for marginal territorial gains.”

The Washington, D.C. think tank also said that Kyiv “continues to innovate aerial drone production,” citing how tests had just been completed on a drone attached to fiber optic cables that will be more resistant to electronic warfare (EW) interference.