<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/fighting-robots-give-ukraine-hope-in-war-with-russia>
"Victor Pavlov showed off Ukraine’s newest and most versatile weapon: a
battery-powered land robot.
The unmanned ground vehicles come in various shapes and sizes. One runs on
caterpillar tracks and resembles a roofless milk float. Another has wheels and
antennas. A third carries anti-tank mines. Since spring 2024 their use has
grown exponentially.
“This is what modern warfare looks like. Armies everywhere will have to
robotise,” said Pavlov, a lieutenant with Ukraine’s 3rd army corps.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now in its fifth year and the
conflict – Europe’s biggest since 1945 – has seen an astonishing transformation
of battlefield weapons and tactics. The war has become a technological contest,
fought not with expensive tanks but with cheap and expendable drones that can
deliver bombs with deadly accuracy.
Ukraine’s drone expertise is now highly sought after amid the US-Israeli war
against Iran. Last week Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed 10-year defence agreements
with several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to provide them
with low-cost Ukrainian interceptors. They can shoot down long-range kamikaze
Shahed drones, used by Tehran in its attacks on its neighbours, and by Moscow.
The Kremlin’s war has transformed Kyiv into a centre for the development of
modern unmanned weapons. There is a unique ecosystem, where engineers design
new products and frontline soldiers give instant feedback. Manufacturers then
scale up supplies, building ground vehicles, anti-Shahed interceptors and
pioneering sea drones."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
