Ukraine has revealed how it destroyed a Russian frontline position without a single soldier being on the ground, thanks to an all-robot offensive.
The attack on a Russian position north of the embattled Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, saw the nation's 13th National Guard Brigade Khartiya launch around 50 unmanned aerial vehicles.
The five-hour attack, believed to be the first of its kind, left several Russian corpses in its wake, and has now led to other Ukrainian units planning similar missions.
Lt. Andriy Kopach, who specialises in land drones, told the Wall Street Journal that as the early morning assault began, Ukrainian troops knelt in deep snow to release five unmanned ground vehicles at different spots several miles from the front-line to prevent crossing signals and confusing the robots.
These five ground vehicles were mounted with massive machine guns and ammunition belts.
Video footage showed the ground vehicles traipsing across snow-covered land near Kharkiv. They were assisted by a swarm of first-person-view (FPV) drones, including one mounted with an assault rifle and many that dropped explosives, as they approached enemy lines.
All of this was coordinated from a command post near the frontline.
Video footage showed several Ukrainian soldiers sitting in a command post in front of dozens of screens, on which real-time battle information was relayed to them from the swarm of land and air drones at their disposal.
One clip showed a mobile land drone driving towards a Russian bunker during the battle and detonating itself.
One clip showed a mobile land drone driving towards a Russian bunker during the battle and detonating itself
Video footage showed the ground vehicles traipsing across snow-covered land near Kharkiv
The drones were coordinated from a command post near the frontlines
The Khartiya brigade also revealed it was working on several more specialist land drones, including a mine-planter and what appears to be a mounted and modified claymore-carrier.
On the front of the apparent claymore-carrying drone reads 'к противнику' - Russian for 'to the enemy', a close translation of the famous phrase on the mines: 'FRONT TOWARD ENEMY.'
Kopach told the newspaper that the attack was an experiment for a potential path to future wars where no human beings have to be on the ground.
'It gave us understanding on how we needed to modify the drones,' he said, adding that they needed to improve the suspension systems.
He added that international companies and governments have also reached out to discuss the December attack, which he said highlighted its significance.
'Then I was thinking, yes, it was really massive, really special,' he said. 'It was the first step of the new war.'
Kopach told the newspaper that the attack was an experiment for a potential path to future wars where no human beings have to be on the ground
The ground drones were assisted by a swarm of first-person-view (FPV) drones (pictured)
The Khartiya brigade also revealed it was working on several more specialist land drones, including a mine-planter (pictured)
On the front of the claymore-carrying drone reads 'к противнику' - Russian for 'to the enemy'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14514789/Ukraines-robot-offensive-destroys-Russian-frontline-unit-using-machine-gun-mounted-vehicles-packed-explosives-50-drones-no-infantry.html
