Ukraine’s steel wolves send robots into the kill zone

As Russia’s war grinds deeper into attrition, one Ukrainian officer has built a battlefield unit around a brutal calculation: machines are easier to replace than soldiers.

Known by the callsign “Witcher”, the commander of a robotic warfare company inside Ukraine’s 32nd Separate Mechanised Steel Brigade has turned ground drones into frontline workhorses — hauling ammunition, evacuating wounded troops and running missions once considered near-suicidal for infantry.

An officer of the 32nd Steel Mechanized Brigade 'Witcher and a ground robotic system (Photo provided by the 32nd Mechanized Brigade)© RBC-Ukraine (UK)

From Flamethrowers to Machines

The idea emerged after repeated losses among flamethrower operators forced to move within hundreds of metres of Russian positions.

“Many flamethrower operators do not return,” Witcher said. “We need to save the guys’ lives.”

What began as a six-man experimental detachment has now expanded into a full company. The unit says it has completed more than 500 combat missions and delivered over 130 tonnes of supplies to frontline positions.

The cost has been steep in equipment. Thirty-eight robotic platforms have been destroyed. Witcher sees that as proof the strategy is working.

“That means 38 living people,” he said.

The Frontline Arms Race Never Stops

Ukraine’s robotic systems are evolving almost as quickly as Russia learns to counter them.

Early Krampus ground drones delivered to the brigade in 2025 were already outdated, vulnerable to jamming and signal interception. Soldiers responded by rebuilding them in field workshops — welding armour, rewriting software and fitting Starlink systems directly onto the machines.

“There is no robotic system you can simply take and use immediately,” Witcher said. “Everything has to be adapted for war.”

The battlefield pressure is relentless. Russian forces now reportedly leave “waiting drones” near disabled Ukrainian robots, hoping recovery crews will walk into ambushes.

Evacuations Under Fire

Some of the most dangerous missions involve retrieving wounded soldiers from exposed positions.

One evacuation operation lasted 12 hours. Crews guided the robotic platform remotely while staying kilometres away from Russian fire.

The machines now carry food, fuel and ammunition across routes stretching up to 40km. Others lay mines, evacuate bodies or mount machine guns for ambush operations.

Ukraine is also testing AI-powered anti-drone modules capable of shooting down incoming FPV drones.

A Future Without Infantry?

Witcher believes the long-term future of frontline warfare is increasingly robotic.

“I think it’s completely realistic that only machines will guard the perimeter,” he said.

For Ukraine, the shift is not about technological spectacle. It is about survival. Every mission completed by steel instead of soldiers buys something increasingly scarce after three years of war: trained manpower.

Steel instead of soldiers: How a Ukrainian officer built a battlefield robot unit