Ukraine’s battlefield supply robots have learned how to swim

Ukrainian forces used an amphibious ground robot to run supplies dozens of miles across land and water in a first-of-its-kind logistics mission.

The amphibious robot, operated by soldiers in the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, traveled 25 miles across varied terrain to deliver ammunition and provisions to front-line positions. “Water obstacles along the front line present a critical challenge for military logistics,” the Ukrainian state-backed innovation platform Brave1 said in a statement shared with Business Insider. “Rivers, canals, and marshlands can severely impede or completely sever supply routes for conventional UGVs, while aerial resupply is not always viable,” it added, referring to uncrewed ground vehicles.

The robot used in the supply mission, a domestically produced model called Triton, operated on land as a conventional UGV, with high mobility.

When it reached the water, the robot switched to swimming mode within seconds. “A single asset thereby gains broader operational versatility across complex terrain,” Brave1 said.

Brave1 said the robot underwent months of development ahead of its mission and that it was done in close coordination with the soldiers, factoring in their requirements and the front-line terrain.

It’s unclear exactly when and where the operation took place.

Ground robots have become a vital component of Ukrainian logistics this year as officials look to replace soldiers with machines wherever possible in dangerous front-line missions.

Ukrainian defense companies have long been pursuing amphibious battlefield robots; Ratel Robotics, for instance, told Business Insider in May that it was designing UGVs for amphibious casualty evacuation, logistics, and assault missions.

In June, Brave1 launched a new track for amphibious robots within its grant program, with support from Ukraine’s defense ministry.

The amphibious logistics run comes as robots are increasingly being used in unconventional missions on the battlefield.

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps revealed that it used heavy bomber drones to air-drop robots several miles behind Russian positions in a surprise assault.

That assault occurred during Operation Vivaldi, a major Ukrainian offensive underway in the east that has seen Kyiv retake dozens of square miles from Russian control.