Ukraine Reveals Self-Developed Kamikaze Robots

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Ukraine’s Brave1, a military technology cluster, has developed the ground-based “Ratel S” kamikaze robot, which enables precise strikes from a safe distance and is meant to counter Russian attacks.

Ukraine demonstrated impressive and quick military innovations since it was attacked by Russia in February 2022. It deployed inexpensive drones to counter the Russian tanks during the early days of the conflict, and in a recent development, the Ukrainian side has developed a ground-based robot that can be used to create kamikaze-styled attacks.

According to Interesting Engineering, the “Ratel S” is designed to allow Ukrainian personnel to carry out attacks on Russian tanks and fortifications from a safe distance. The robot almost looks like a toy monster truck but is built to carry an anti-tank mine or a bomb on its back. It is electrically operated and can travel at a maximum speed of nearly 24 kph.

On the field, the “Ratel S” can function on a full charge for up to two hours, and if required it can wait before blowing up adversarial equipment or assets. Those operating the robot can be located anywhere within a range of 6 km.

The robot has reportedly passed all field tests and is being put into production. Its introduction to Ukraine’s arsenal of weapons and abilities signifies the agility with which the country responds to threats during this conflict.

Just last year, Ukraine became the first country in the world to develop a fleet of naval drones to deploy at sea, an innovation that helped Ukraine counter Russian aggression and reduced its dependence on other countries for weapons.

Innovations like the “Ratel S” are quick and easy to deploy, have a low cost, and increase the ability to engage with adversaries from a safe distance. Now is the new era battleground where drones and robots might be more effective than battle tanks.