Military Medics Develop Ground Drone for Casualty Evacuation

The members of Ukraine’s First Separate Medical Battalion have independently developed and deployed a ground drone designed to evacuate the wounded — Maul.

The drone’s development was told to Militarnyi by the commander of the battalion’s unmanned systems unit, known by the call sign “Devi.”

The team decided to build its own platform after testing a range of ground drones over the course of a year, finding most to be technically flawed and difficult to maintain.

Unlike typical models in this category, which are powered by electric motors, Maul is based on an internal combustion engine.

The vehicle is built on an ATV chassis, providing high speed, maneuverability and off-road capability. However, the gasoline engine makes it louder than electric alternatives.

Thanks to its design, Maul can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h on relatively flat terrain — significantly faster than competing models.
It is also engineered to complete missions even after sustaining damage.

“For example, we have specialized wheels. After this vehicle was hit and two wheels were punctured, they came off. But the design is well thought out — we were still able to return 10 kilometers back without issue. Therefore, even punctured wheels are not an obstacle for its return” said Devi.

In practice, the drone’s operational range has been limited to about five kilometers. However, this is due to the range limitations of the UAVs that accompany it, rather than the ground vehicle itself. Theoretically, Maul can be controlled from a distance of up to 10 kilometers, with plans to extend this range in future versions.

“It can be 10 kilometers now, and future models — the next versions — will be able to go 10 to 20 kilometers,” Devi said.

As of February 2025, more than 200 Ukrainian companies were working on ground robotic platforms for various military applications.

In total, Ukraine’s defense forces plan to receive 15,000 ground robotic systems in 2025 — ten times more than in 2024. Nearly all will be domestically produced, as foreign models remain significantly more expensive.