27 January 2026
In 2025, the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine exceeded the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s requests for providing units with ground-based robotic systems.
In the winter of 2026, three Russian occupiers surrendered to a Ukrainian Armed Forces ground robotic complex after being actively attacked by Ukrainian FPV drones. A video of the surrender was posted on social media, Dialog.UA reports.
The video shows three Russian occupiers emerging from cover with their hands raised in a populated area and then surrendering. Their movements are monitored by Ukrainian UAV and ground robotic system (GRS) operators. One of the Russians is wounded. The occupiers are escorted to Ukrainian Armed Forces positions and taken prisoner.
This is far from the first time that Russian occupiers have surrendered to Ukrainian ground robots. Similar incidents were recorded repeatedly in 2025. For example, last summer in the Kharkiv region, fighters from the Third Assault Brigade attacked enemy positions, cleared them, and captured the occupiers using drones and ground robotic systems. The NC13 unit of the Third Assault Brigade was operating at the time.
In 2026, several cases of enemy surrender to Ukrainian NKVDs were also recorded. Recently, a video was released online showing the evacuation of a Russian prisoner of war using the Droid TW-12.7 ground robotic system. This system is designed to provide infantry fire support (it is equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun), reconnaissance, evacuation of the wounded, and delivery of supplies to the front lines.
It’s worth noting that Ukraine has recently been actively developing ground robotic systems technology. According to the Ministry of Defense, deliveries of ground robots to the Ukrainian army exceeded the order for 2025. The DOT-Chain Defense digital platform, which helps supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with ground robots, is actively developing.
It was previously reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces received a new ground combat drone, the Zmiy Droid.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also announced record deliveries of domestic military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Furthermore, Dialog.UA previously reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will soon be armed with a ground combat robot equipped with an automatic grenade launcher.
https://www.dialog.ua/war/327722_1769490737#google_vignette
This could be the first surrender to a robot in history.
Indeed, there are numerous events in this war that are firsts.
Ground drone, perhaps, this one is from November of 2022