Unmanned ground vehicles in Russia: a fresh attempt after the failure of Uran-9, Nerekhta and Soratnik

In the mid-2010s, the Russian Ministry of Defence launched a process intended to bring “ground combat robotic complexes” into service – in the West these are called unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). That this project has run into the ground is more than obvious. Now, however, Russia is making another attempt to establish unmanned ground vehicles.

According to the original plans, these vehicles were to have reached a share of around 30 per cent by 2025. Since the start of the attack on Ukraine in February 2022, however, there has been no sign of them.

It is now known, for example, that documentation for the heavily armed robotic system Uran-9 was never even started. No approval documents ever reached the responsible commission. Consequently, the complex was neither accepted into service nor procured for the Russian army. It is unknown whether the vehicle was ever more than a mobile dummy.

Prototypes for trade fairs and parades

Why this is so remains speculation. The T-14 Armata main battle tank and the S-57 combat aircraft (NATO: Felon) fared similarly, however. Little more than a few test articles of these platforms exist. They are shown at trade fairs, in short videos of exercises or at presentations such as the annual parade on Red Square.

One possible reason is that western technologies were essential to these developments – above all in electronic components. Apart from grey imports, Russia no longer has access to them; in any case, it is not enough for production in significant numbers.

Accordingly, there is great disappointment in Russian specialist forums that the announced UGV platforms Uran-9, Nerekhta and Soratnik have not appeared in Ukraine at all.

New unmanned ground vehicles without western components

Under sanctions, a new attempt now appears to be taking shape. Most notably, in March the 74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade deployed the Kurier ground drone (НРТК „Курьер”) at Berdychi, just under ten kilometres north-west of Avdiivka.

Both sides documented this deployment at least well enough for it to be generally regarded as the first encounter between unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (Mavic drones crashing into each other does not count for either side!). Officially, both sides expressed at least satisfaction – despite the obvious limitations of the vehicles and despite the outcome of the engagement.

According to Russian sources, eight Kurier vehicles took part. Their armament consisted of AGS-17 and AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers as well as NSVT 12.7 and PKT machine guns.

Both Russian and Ukrainian accounts describe the robots serving as a kind of covering fire or as a distraction. This allowed Russian soldiers to advance into the Ukrainian positions.

Remote control instead of AI

The fire is generally considered unaimed; the automatic grenade launchers in particular are likely laid using firing tables. The video footage suggests that the weapons were rigidly mounted – the vehicles therefore have to turn and need level ground.

Video from a Ukrainian drone shows Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drones destroying two of the vehicles.

Before drawing far-reaching conclusions from the deployment, it is worth remembering that tanks, too, were not decisive in their first combat deployment – nor even throughout the First World War. What is evident, however, is that further vehicles of this type are reaching the front. A recent photo from production also points at least to small-batch manufacturing.

Development is proceeding in two directions, “wheeled” and “tracked”. In terms of use, a distinction is made between vehicles designed as kamikaze vehicles and vehicles for single-purpose or multi-purpose tasks. Notably, as with the FPV drone before it, development in Russia is not being driven primarily by the major defence conglomerates – so far, private initiatives tend to dominate. Detailed images from production and the requirements discussed in forums also show that commercially available, mainly Chinese components such as control servos or cameras are being used.

So far there is no sign of so-called “repeaters” being used for UGVs. For flying unmanned systems, these have become a category of their own. They are the main reason why flying drones can be used at distances of well over ten kilometres even in an electronically hostile environment. The radio link for controlling the ground vehicles, by contrast, usually reaches less than 1,000 metres, at most 2,000 metres.

More advanced technology cannot be inferred from the images and videos available so far – such as automated routes, stabilised weapons, target-tracking systems or even automatic target acquisition up to artificial intelligence (AI).

Kurier (Kur’yer) profile: ground robotic complex (HTPK)

• Type: tracked multi-purpose UGV – for cargo or casualty transport, as a weapons carrier or for minelaying
• Weight: around 250 kilograms
• Top speed: 35 km/h
• Operating time: up to 72 hours
• Maximum range: up to 10 kilometres
• Armament options: AGS-17, AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers (150 grenades); NSVT 12.7 millimetre Kord heavy machine gun (250 rounds); PKT 7.62 millimetre machine gun (900 rounds); RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers (4); TM-62 or TM-83 mines (up to 8)

Other Russian UGV projects (selection, not exhaustive)

• “Avtobot project”: first shown publicly in January 2023; after a fraud complaint in July 2023 in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, it has not reappeared
• “SEM-25”: 4-wheeled kamikaze UGV, in development/testing
• “SEM-50”: 4-wheeled multi-purpose UGV, in development
• “SEM-350”: tracked multi-purpose UGV, prototype
• “Veteran”: tracked multi-purpose UGV, second-generation successor to the “SEM-350”, in development/testing
• “Valli/Wall E”: tracked UGV as an electronic warfare carrier, in development/testing
• “Two Majors”: tracked multi-purpose UGV, in testing/field trials
• “Depesha”: 4-wheeled multi-purpose UGV, in development/testing within the Rostec group
• “Impuls-M”: tracked multi-purpose UGV for payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms and towed loads of up to 1,500 kilograms, in development within the Rostec group
• “Scorpion-M”: 4-wheeled kamikaze UGV, deployed in May 2024 near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast