Ukrainian ground robot takes over trench duty, holds line for 45 days straight (VIDEO)

2025-12-23 12:58 4 min

A Ukrainian remotely-operated ground combat robot held a frontline position for 45 consecutive days, suppressing every Russian attempt to break through without a single friendly casualty, according to the 3rd Assault Brigade. The unit released a video showing how the unmanned system operates in a tree line, sustaining machine gun fire on enemy forces. The exact location was not revealed, but the brigade is known to operate in eastern Kharkiv Oblast.

With frontline zones heavily targeted by enemy drones, Ukraine is increasingly relying on ground-based robotic systems in addition to aerial UAVs. The ground drones are used to deliver supplies, evacuate casualties, and sometimes carry out both offensive and defensive tasks in high-risk areas. Ground drone replaces infantry in trench duty

The Ukrainian Army's 3rd Army Corps reported that a DevDroid TW 12.7 robotic platform held a combat position instead of infantry for 1.5 months. According to the unit, the robot was deployed daily for 45 days in a row, where it opened fire with a mounted machine gun to suppress all Russian advances. The operators from the NC13 strike ground drone unit controlled the machine remotely from a safe shelter.

The Brigade stated that the Russian forces were unable to infiltrate or seize the position during the entire mission. All enemy attempts to advance were stopped by the robot’s fire. Ukrainian troops held the line with “zero losses in manpower.”

The video shared by the Brigade includes drone footage showing the robot moving through a tree line, then firing its machine gun, followed by a view of the surrounding area. Captions in the clip state that the ground robotic system (NRK) is holding an infantry position, that Russian forces are trying to penetrate the 3rd Assault Brigade’s sector of responsibility, and that all their breakthrough attempts are suppressed by the drone’s dense fire.

DevDroid TW 12.7: features and capabilities

The DevDroid TW 12.7 is a reconnaissance and strike ground robotic complex developed by Ukrainian company DevDroid. It is equipped with a remotely operated turret adapted for a 12.7 mm caliber machine gun. According to the developer, the system has a maximum target engagement range of up to 1 kilometer, moves at speeds up to 7 km/h, and has a travel range of 25 kilometers. The company has not publicly disclosed its price.