Ukrainian soldiers are putting RPGs on robots for fights in the kill zone, a manufacturer says
Ukrainian forces are increasingly mounting anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) onto ground robots to engage Russian targets. This shift is a response to the extreme danger posed by drone-heavy 'kill zones' that make traditional infantry use of these weapons too risky.
Why it matters
The integration of robotics into frontline combat highlights the rapid evolution of modern warfare and the increasing reliance on unmanned systems to mitigate human casualties.
Ukrainian forces have used RPGs to fight Russia's invasion. Now, they're starting to put them on robots to attack. Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Ukrainian troops are shifting another infantry weapon from soldiers to robots. RPGs are finding a new role as combat evolves and troops lean on emerging tech to mitigate risk. The change reflects how drones and robots are reshaping ground warfare. Ukrainian soldiers conducting operations in the kill zone have been putting anti-tank RPGs on ground robots, a robotic systems manufacturer told Business Insider, explaining that the battlefield has become too dangerous for troops to use the weapons the way they did earlier in the war. Rocket-propelled grenades are often used by infantry to defeat armored vehicles and weaken fortified positions, but the battlefield has changed, forcing new innovations.
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