Some Ukrainian Brigades Already Transferred Frontline Logistics to Drones

Ground drones have already partially or completely taken over the delivery of military supplies to the front line, replacing infantry and armored vehicle crews in some combat brigades of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Ukrainian operators of ground drones told about this in a new article by Militarnyi.

One of the leading units in the introduction of ground drones is the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, which today fully meets the needs of the front lines with the help of ground drones and heavy multi-rotor drones such as Vampire.

The drone operators of this brigade transport up to 40 tons of cargo per week, supporting the activities of five battalions.

“If I had been asked about the role of ground drones in July and August, I would have said that they accounted for 80% of the logistics. Now their contribution has dropped to 50% due to the deteriorating weather conditions – the ground has worse passability. This is also compounded by a certain lack of drones in the unit,” says Makar, commander of the company of the UGV strike force NC13.

Another example of the successful implementation of ground robotic systems is the Azov Brigade, which has transferred most of its transportation to the front line to UGVs. Their drones deliver 20-25 tons of supplies to the front every month.

A similar trend can be observed in the Air Assault Forces. In particular, one of the brigades transports 10-12 tons of cargo every month, which is about 80% of all supplies to the front line.

The main reason for the active robotization of transportation near the front is the formation of numerous “kill zones” in the rear of the Defense Forces’ forward positions, where enemy drones conduct constant surveillance, mine roads and organize drone ambushes on access roads. The depth of enemy influence in such areas reaches 5 kilometers, and in the hottest areas sometimes exceeds 20 kilometers. In such conditions, ground drones have become a solution that has allowed the delivery of goods without endangering people.

“Over the year, everything has changed dramatically, and UGVs have become almost the only alternative way to deliver cargo instead of armored vehicles,” says Oleksandr Yabchanka, head of the Robotic Systems Service of the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion of the USF.

For example, according to the operators of the Azov Brigade’s robotic systems, their company loses more than 10 robotic systems to enemy drones every month. This is equivalent to dozens of lives saved.

Today, drones deliver equipment, weapons, ammunition, fuel, batteries for drones, provisions, and even blood for transfusion – everything that will allow soldiers on the front line to act autonomously.

Read more about the introduction of ground drones, evacuation of the wounded with the help of drones and their integration,and combat operations in the article “The Year of Ground Drones that Revolutionized Military Logistics.”