Ukraine's UGV Drones Complete More Than 100,000 Missions Since the Start of 2026

Gareth Whitcombe • September 28, 2026 19:11

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In an effort to improve and expand the robotisation of its Land Forces through the use of UGV drones, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has announced that its ground drones have already completed more than 100,000 missions since the beginning of 2026. Ground robotic systems have become established in logistics, evacuation and operational-support roles, while the Ministry of Defence continues to increase their integration across the Defence Forces.

Every operation carried out by the ground robotic systems has been recorded in the DELTA combat system. According to Ukraine's Defence Minister, Yevhen Khmara, the introduction of these technologies is intended to lower the risks faced by military personnel and shift numerous tasks to unmanned platforms in the most exposed areas of the front line.

More than 100,000 logistics and evacuation missions

Since January, the number of missions conducted by UGV drones has increased consistently in every month of 2026. A total of 7,511 operations were recorded in January, followed by 7,960 in February, 9,072 in March and 11,028 missions completed by these ground systems in April.

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May then added 14,059 missions, while June raised the total to 16,664 operations. July posted the highest monthly figure, with 19,969 missions; between 1 and 20 August, unmanned ground vehicles had already completed a further 15,729 operations, taking the cumulative total well beyond 100,000 missions.

These platforms deliver ammunition, food and water to forward positions where conventional vehicle movement poses greater danger. They are also used to evacuate wounded soldiers and deceased personnel, allowing a large number of logistical tasks to be performed without directly exposing the teams responsible for supplies.

Operators become a new military speciality

The expansion of ground robotic systems has also led to the creation of a dedicated speciality within Ukraine's Defence Forces. Operators of these systems belong to military speciality VOS 129 and control tracked or wheeled ground platforms assigned to logistics, evacuation and combat-support missions.

Their responsibilities include managing the deployment and return of the vehicles, overseeing their operation and ensuring each platform receives technical maintenance. They also continuously monitor navigation, communications and data-transmission systems to maintain real-time operations from protected positions.

The control post includes ground stations, remote controls, protected laptops and tablets fitted with integrated navigation systems. Teams additionally use batteries, charging stations, portable generators, radios, antennas, repeaters and electronic warfare equipment to keep communications stable during missions at the front.

Increasingly capable ground platforms

Ground robotic systems have progressed from basic transport vehicles into platforms with far broader capabilities. Versions now exist with armoured capsules, protected communications links, day and night cameras, as well as systems intended for combat, logistics, remote mining and evacuation.

Heavy variants can carry payloads of up to 500 kilograms and travel for dozens of kilometres across terrain without prepared roads. The Ministry of Defence also stated that new operational uses for these platforms continue to emerge, including documented cases in which Russian soldiers surrendered to unmanned ground vehicles during operations conducted by Ukrainian units.

To expand their availability, Ukraine has significantly increased procurement of these systems during 2026. More than 22,000 units have been contracted so far, nearly twice the number acquired throughout the previous year, while military personnel have placed orders worth approximately 1.9 billion hryvnias through the Brave1 Market platform under the e-Baly programme.

Robotisation also extends to aerial drones

Ukraine's development of unmanned systems is not confined to ground vehicles. The Ministry of Defence recently approved the Dovbush T40, an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for deep reconnaissance missions and strikes against personnel and infrastructure, expanding the capabilities of drone fleets used by the Defence Forces.

According to official information, the Dovbush T40 has an endurance of more than 24 hours and a range exceeding 2,000 kilometres. It also features a design intended to reduce radar detection, an electronically fuel-injected engine, and a five-metre wingspan structure capable of carrying external armament depending on the chosen configuration.

Joining this system is the Alexa Spatium, the first jet-powered drone interceptor developed in Ukraine and recently added to the national arsenal. This unmanned aircraft was created to destroy small aerial, ground and naval targets, with particular emphasis on Russian drones used in attacks against Ukrainian territory.

The Alexa Spatium is powered by a turbojet engine and can operate against Geran-3, Geran-4, Geran-5 and Shahed-131 drones, as well as helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft and other individual targets. During testing, it confirmed the performance claimed by its manufacturer, including high manoeuvrability, television and infrared sensors, and different guidance modes using pre-set coordinates or direct control.

Images obtained from Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.