German Media: Unmanned Platforms Have Not Yet Changed the "Rules of the Game" on the Battlefield

According to a report by Reference News Network on April 20, the German newspaper "Welt" published an article on April 16 titled "A 'Game Changer' on the Frontlines? — Robotic Armies Achieve Major Success," authored by Pavel Lokshin. The full text is excerpted as follows:

Ukrainian President Zelensky recently stated: "For the first time, we have captured enemy positions solely using unmanned platforms — namely ground robots and drones. The future has arrived."

In the past, Russian soldiers had also surrendered to Ukrainian drones. However, drones ultimately come from the air. Now, Kyiv has successfully deployed ground unmanned systems for the first time.

Innovations in the defense industry signify a strategic shift in combat methods. This article analyzes the significance of these new systems.

What can combat robots do on the frontlines?

So far, Ukraine has primarily used ground robots for logistical support and evacuating the wounded. According to Zelensky, by the end of March, robots had completed over 22,000 missions. Most robots are significantly smaller than traditional military vehicles, making them harder for enemy reconnaissance drones to detect and destroy.

On Ukraine's "Brave 1" defense technology cluster platform, there are currently dozens of ground robots available — including autonomous robots equipped with machine guns, mine-clearing robots, and suicide robots carrying explosives. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine produces tens of thousands of such robots each year.

What is their strategic significance for Ukraine?

The deployment of robots in the Ukrainian military is rapidly increasing. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the number of missions performed by robots grew by 50% from February to March.

The NC-13 assault company, part of the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade, stated that it has conducted over 100 attacks on Russian targets at the front using combat robots, "These operations include eliminating enemy soldiers and destroying bunkers, command posts, and other enemy infrastructure. This is no longer an isolated event but a systematic combat operation."

This move has a clear objective: to minimize the risk of soldier casualties, especially against the backdrop of Ukraine's ongoing conscription challenges. On the 15th, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced the formation of a new drone attack unit, as a "new type of combat model," integrating aerial and ground unmanned devices with infantry into a "unified system." This model has proven effective on the southern front of Ukraine.

What role does artificial intelligence play?

In the realm of drone and robot warfare, artificial intelligence is expected to become a key technology. It enables armies to deploy multiple unmanned systems to the battlefield simultaneously and neutralizes the enemy's electronic warfare capabilities.

If robots and drones do not need to maintain continuous connection with a control center but are instead controlled by artificial intelligence, then opponents will have to resort to physical destruction methods — merely cutting off their connection to the operator is not enough.

However, such fully autonomous robots or drones are still in the research and testing phase in Ukraine. According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, artificial intelligence is currently only useful in analyzing vast amounts of data in the military field.

Will robots quickly replace soldiers?

Experts generally believe that this possibility is unlikely in the medium term. In challenging combat environments, the robots currently available to Ukraine cannot replace soldiers in any case. Faced with Russia's tactics of sending only a small number of soldiers to infiltrate Ukrainian positions, robots are nearly powerless.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, shares this view. In an article last September, he wrote that ideally, with the help of robots, soldiers would not have to charge to the front lines, but the technology "has not yet developed to that extent."

David Kirichenko, a military analyst at the British think tank Henry Jackson Society, also believes that replacing soldiers with military robots is unrealistic.

Will robots become a "game changer" in the Ukraine war?

Kirichenko believes that robots are an important component of Ukraine's defense capabilities, but they are neither "game changers" nor "wonder weapons," and they cannot solve Ukraine's conscription issues.

However, Ukraine can leverage robots to force Russia to pay a higher price — and, if necessary, draw Moscow into a technological race. In Russia, recruiting new soldiers is also becoming increasingly difficult.

Before the Kremlin takes on the politically risky measure of forced conscription again, the Russian military may rely more on robots. Relevant technologies are currently being tested in Russia. (Translated by Zhong Sirui)