The formerly civilian equipment now carries a machine gun to hunt enemy troops and armored vehicles.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has approved the use of a domestically developed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) for military use, according to an official statement.

Armed with a large-caliber machine gun, the D-21-12R has been fitted for a range of combat roles including surveillance, patrolling, fire support, and engaging Russian light armored vehicles. The ministry highlighted the robot’s high cross-country mobility in off-road terrain, including mud and shallow water, along with being operated remotely from a secure location.

Since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have significantly expanded their use of unmanned systems — particularly aerial drones — transforming the dynamics of modern warfare. Ukraine is now scaling up production of unmanned ground platforms and integrating robotic combat units directly into frontline brigades.

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In a milestone development last December, Ukrainian forces reported conducting a successful assault on Russian positions in Kharkiv Oblast solely using ground and FPV (first-person view) drones, with no infantry involved.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov emphasized in February that unmanned ground systems have demonstrated their versatility in combat, contributing to both offensive and defensive operations, casualty evacuation, logistical support, and the mining and demining of contested areas.

No technical specifications of the redesigned D-21-12R robot have been released. It was initially developed in Ukraine as a multipurpose ground platform for civilian applications, such as logistical support in difficult terrain, search and rescue operations, and emergency response tasks where sending humans would be too risky.

And a new drone, too

Last week, Ukraine also announced the latest advance in the ongoing drone race with Russia, saying its new variant had the longest range of any in its arsenal – 3,000 kilometers – and had successfully completed testing.

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Although the authorities declined to release details about the new weapon, military experts suspect it is the Palianytsia missile drone, which was revealed last year and is thought to have a range of between 500 and 700 kilometers.

Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), believes that the new drone likely has a fixed-wing structure and a turbojet engine.

To date, Olenya military air base in Murmansk Region was the farthest Russian facility hit by a drone. The air base is located some 1,800 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.

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