Ukrainian soldiers have been using the Ardal Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), a ground-based robotic system developed by engineers from Ukraine’s Brave1 defense tech cluster, to evacuate wounded personnel from the front lines.
According to Kyrylo Veres, the commander of the 20th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems, which operates the Ardal UGV, the unit recently evacuated four wounded servicemen using the ground robots.
“Four days, four lives saved. These are our comrades from infantry and assault units serving with us on the line,” Veres said.
The evacuation reportedly took place in a dangerous area inaccessible to traditional medevac teams.
A video released by the regiment shows a ground robot driving through combat conditions to reach a wounded soldier. After picking him up, the robot delivered him to an armored Dingo vehicle for further evacuation.
Veres underscored the significant potential of the technology, explaining that it will soon bring major improvements to infantry survival rates. He emphasized that this advancement benefits not only their unit but all branches of the Defense Forces.
“Unmanned systems have already changed warfare in the air and at sea. Now it’s time for ground robots,” he further added.
Ukraine is one of the first countries to use drones for front-line evacuations and blood deliveries. The country reportedly plans to supply its army with 15,000 domestically built ground robotic drones by 2025—ten times the number deployed in 2024.
