An eye-opening video shows the moment Ukrainian forces used a drone to drop a futuristic robot combat dog close to Russian forces on the front line.
The clip shows how modern warfare techniques are advancing lightning in the conflict on the borders of NATO and the European Union.
The Ukrainian 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade uses robot unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) to scout out the positions of Putin’s forces on the battlefield.
The high-tech warfare weapons are fitted with cameras and can be controlled by operators miles away from the deployment zone. The dogs can also be fitted with explosives and guns.
In August Forbes reported the British company Robot Alliance has already supplied 30 of the dogs, worth around £5,000 each, to the Ukrainians.
The robotic dogs are able to tackle rough terrain with their four limbs and can reach speeds of up to 11mph.
Speaking to the Ukrainian news site Unian, Yevhen Alkhimov, the press officer of the 28th separate mechanised brigade, said: “They can go where aerial drones can’t. This is the main advantage.
“They can be launched in the direction of an enemy trench, point the robot dog in front so that the assault team can see what is happening in front of them.
“You can’t do that with a drone. With its help, you can fly around the enemy’s trench line, but due to the cover of the dugouts, you can’t see what’s inside from the air. And robot dogs can be launched right there”
Mr Alkhimov added that robot dogs have an advantage over drones because they can “quietly approach and record sound” which is a “big plus for intelligence”.
He added: “In addition, the dog robot is capable of carrying landmines and blowing up basements in everyday houses, as well as setting target sensors. He scatters them, then the artillery works on them.
“The robot can move up to two and a half kilometres on the remote control with standard settings. The speed is approximately like a human running. He is quite fast.
“No robot will ever replace a soldier. All the same, people should be in the same positions. They do the job better and faster than any robot. Therefore, no one can replace people.”