A D-21 reconnaissance and combat ground robotic complex is pictured during an event organised by JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry (UkrOboronProm) to mark the Defence and Industrial Complex Employee Day, Kyiv region, northern Ukraine. (Photo credit should read Pavlo_Bagmut / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
FARNBOROUGH, England — Ukraine successfully pulled off an all-drone, multi-domain attack on Russian positions near Kharkiv in December, an official speaking at the International Armoured Vehicle (IAV) conference disclosed this week, in what they are calling the first-ever such operation.
Addressing delegates under the Chatham House Rule at Defence iQ’s IAV event here, the official described how the operation exclusively featured weaponized uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) and first person view (FPV) attack drones and did not feature any crewed platforms or boots on the ground.
UGVs conducted the full spectrum of mission sets including surveillance, mine clearance and direct fire, supported by uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), the official stated before explaining how the “tactical air-land operation” represented the first instance of an “uncrewed battle fought by one side” in the ongoing war.
Reflecting on the attack, which appeared at the time as merely a “footnote in daily reporting,” the official went on to describe it as a “seminal moment in the changing character of conflict.”
Warning “Ukraine faces today what [NATO] could face tomorrow,” the speaker went onto describe how Ukraine’s military continues to place a premium on attritable technologies to create combat mass,” before adding: “Ukraine has made the most of turning industrial disadvantage into a furnace of innovation.”
The December attack was confirmed by the National Guard of Ukraine, with a spokesperson at the time describing how “dozens” of uncrewed equipment had been used to conduct an assault near Lyptsi, equipped with machine guns and munitions.
Exact types of UGVs and FPV drones used during the attack were not disclosed but a defense source informed Breaking Defense that ground vehicles included the 4×4 ‘Ratel S’ which was developed through the Ukraine Government’s Brave1 Defence Innovation Forum.
Ukraine has been trying to use drones in as many mission sets as possible, Paul Clayton, director of industrial partnerships at UGV manufacturer Milrem Robotics, told Breaking Defense at the show.
Clayton described a visit in July to Ukraine, where the military showed off how UGVs were being employed for “first strike” missions with “10 or more UGVs on an objective and achieving victory because they overwhelmed an enemy, getting inside their OODA loop.”
“If [Russian forces] destroyed one [UGV], another will come in,” he added before suggesting UGVs are being specifically used to disrupt or destroy command and control nodes.
But Clayton also warned of limitations facing UGVs in Ukraine.
“The winter-mud season critically impacts tactical, operational and even strategic operations. Mud severely limits off road mobility, rendering wheeled vehicles virtually interoperable and hampering tracked vehicles under extreme conditions.
Additionally, Clayton described how UGVs were vulnerable to the enemy’s advanced EW and jamming capabilities.
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“These pose significant challenges to [uncrewed] operations including their control and effectiveness,” he stated before also suggesting UGVs must use fortified positions to take cover during missions.
“Drone-operating frequencies are constantly shifting. Intelligence and EW teams must remain vigilant to detect and counteract newly adopted enemy frequencies. A decline in jammer effectiveness must be swiftly identified and addressed,” he added.
Since 2022, a total of 15 THeMIS UGVs, produced by Milrem, have been used by the Ukrainians for cargo, casualty evacuation and demand. But Clayton suggested “additional orders are coming” for anti-tank, indirect fire and direct fire capabilities, as well as intelligence-gathering, communications relay and engineering.
The executive said it’s his aspiration to have more than 200 UGVs operating in Ukraine by the end of the year, fulfilling a variety of intelligence-gathering and combat roles.
