Ukraine's Khartiia Corps converts assault robots into frontline supply carriers
Khartiia Corps is retrofitting assault robots to perform logistics tasks (Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)
Ukraine's National Guard’s Khartiia 2nd Corps is using some of its unmanned ground vehicles, originally designed for assault missions, to carry out logistics tasks instead, unit commanders told Business Insider on Aug. 18.
The corps noted that frontline logistics has become increasingly difficult as Russian drones continuously monitor the battlefield.
"Supply runs can be deadly for soldiers, so a growing number are being handled by uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs)," the report said.
Finding enough robots for logistics tasks is the biggest challenge, said the commander of a ground robotic systems company in the Lavra regiment, who goes by the call sign “Mathematician”. His unit is converting machine-gun-armed robots, normally intended for assault operations, into logistics carriers to make up for the shortage. However, this creates another operational problem, he added.
"We cannot be doing some fire support missions because we don't have enough UGVs," he said.
The commander of the UGV unit in the Svoboda battalion of the Rubizh brigade, who goes by the call sign “Dozor”, agreed. According to him, all logistics tasks and the evacuation of wounded soldiers in combat zones are carried out using ground robots.
Dozor's unit uses "universal platforms and appropriate modules that can be quickly removed or installed." An assault robot, he explained, can be converted for logistics needs in about two hours.
"This helps to perform any tasks and quickly prepare robots for them," he said.
Khartiia noted that Ukrainian officials have said they want robots to eventually handle 100% of battlefield logistics tasks, and ground robots are a central part of that strategy.
In late July, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Kyiv had signed contracts for more than 22,000 ground robots since the start of 2026 — nearly double the number contracted in all of last year.
However, Mathematician said robots are still in short supply. He said that if companies could mass-produce cheaper ground robotic systems for logistics, it would free up machines originally built for assault missions to be used for their intended purpose.
Mathematician said the "lifespan" of logistics robots is shrinking very quickly. According to him, the number of missions a UGV can withstand depends on which section of the front it is operating in.
In the Kupyansk sector, he said, a robot can withstand only three to four missions. In other areas, that figure can be higher — around 15 to 20 missions.
According to Ukraine's Defense Ministry, ground robotic systems had carried out more than 66,000 missions since the start of the year, as of the end of July.
On April 27, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered an increase in the production and supply of unmanned ground vehicles.
On April 22, Politico reported that Ukraine's Defense Forces plan to replace up to 30% of personnel in the most difficult frontline sectors with robotic systems in 2026.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
