The Ukrainian company Overland AI has developed a ground vehicle named ULTRA that enables operators to deploy multiple drones without human presence. NATO is exploring the utilization of ground and air robots to substitute human soldiers in combat, a strategy that Ukraine has been implementing for over a year. However, Russia persists with its own increasingly autonomous attack drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently shared a video highlighting a remarkable event from July where Russian troops surrendered to Ukrainian robots during a skirmish. He emphasized that Ukraine is at the forefront of embracing future technologies in warfare. Ukrainian robotics companies have successfully executed over 22,000 missions in just three months.
In an operation carried out by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade in July 2025, first-person-view aerial drones and ground robots armed with explosives made by Nazemnyi Robotychnyi Kompleks were used to attack enemy fortifications. The robots forced the enemy to surrender, demonstrating the effectiveness of autonomous technology in combat scenarios.
The development of Ukraine’s ground-robot capabilities has progressed rapidly, with documented cases of unmanned ground vehicles conducting strike missions by delivering grenades or attacking enemy troops and fortifications. This advancement challenges traditional military doctrines and has caught the attention of NATO.
Numerous efforts are underway to integrate ground robots into military operations, with NATO’s Allied Command Transformation conducting studies on enhancing force lethality. Venture capitalists are also investing in defense-oriented ground robots, highlighting the growing interest in autonomous technologies for security purposes.
Challenges remain in utilizing first-person-view drones efficiently, as operators can typically control only one drone at a time. However, advancements in autonomous navigation systems are being pursued to improve the coordination between ground robots and aerial drones. Ukraine is exploring alternatives to GPS for navigation, incorporating visual- and terrain-matching systems powered by AI to enhance long-range navigation capabilities.
The ultimate goal for Ukraine is to achieve greater autonomy in drone operations, allowing operators to manage fleets of ground and air robots simultaneously with confidence in their mission execution. This complex multi-drone swarm capability aligns with the Pentagon’s research efforts in developing advanced drone technologies. Ukrainian military officials envision a future where operators oversee a network of drones working collaboratively to accomplish missions efficiently, transforming the role of operators into system managers.
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