Ukrainian company Robotic Complexes is developing CASEEVAK, an armored module that lets the Murakha unmanned ground vehicle carry wounded soldiers off the battlefield, the company told Militarnyi on 28 October. The casualty rides in a closed capsule with ventilation, heating, lighting, and a first-aid kit, and side and rear doors let medics load and reach the soldier from any side.

Drones that can fly long distances pose a threat to both wounded soldiers and the crews evacuating them, making transportation the main challenge, said Ukrainian military medic Daryna Boiko, The Independent reported. Developers are looking for new ways to counter this threat. The current Murakha model is being equipped with passive anti-drone protection elements, the developers say.

An armored capsule that keeps the wounded connected

After a wounded soldier is loaded onto an evacuation platform, it is important not only to transport them to a safe location but also to protect them and monitor their condition during transit.

The module is built around a closed armored capsule made of 3.5 mm-thick Armox 500T steel with an inner lining of HDPE 1000, the media outlet reports. Side and rear doors allow the wounded to be loaded from different directions and accessed during evacuation.

To enable the operator to monitor the person inside and maintain contact with them, the capsule is equipped with a camera with day and night channels and two-way audio communication. The system can be controlled via ELRS, LTE, Starlink, or fiber-optic communications. Militarnyi reports that even if the capsule is detached from the main platform, it retains two independent communication channels.

The developers are also working to integrate vital-signs monitoring systems intended to provide medical personnel with information about the wounded person’s condition during transport.

An electric platform and protection against FPV drones

The evacuation module requires a platform capable of carrying it as it moves through dangerous areas. The Murakha is equipped with two electric motors, delivering a combined torque of 1,600 N·m, and a 35 kWh battery. The system’s stated range is up to 80 km, according to the media outlet.

Another area of development is protection against drones. Measures intended to protect the system include net launchers and electronic warfare (EW) equipment. However, work on a protective cage against FPV drones is still ongoing, according to the report.

The company has already conducted ballistic tests of the armor steel at a distance of 50 meters, using ammunition of various calibers, Militarnyi reports.

The Murakha-Mini logistics platform

The same company previously developed the Murakha-Mini logistics platform. Ukrainian military personnel began using it on the front line to deliver equipment, provisions and other supplies, Militarnyi reported on 24 October 2025.

The UGV can carry up to 250 kg and travel up to 40 km on a single charge, the media outlet reported. During one combat mission, it transported 150 kg of cargo and towed a six-metre platform carrying another drone and provisions, covering 16 km in one direction, Militarnyi reported.

• Ukraine's ground robots are carrying grenade launchers into dangerous areas.
• The robots bring short-range firepower closer to Russian troops without exposing Ukrainian soldiers.
• A brigade said operators tens of kilometers away used armed robots to pulverize Russian positions.

Ukraine is mounting grenade launchers on ground robots, allowing its forces to bring useful firepower closer to Russian troops without sending in soldiers to pull the trigger.

Grenades have long been important in Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion, particularly in close-quarters trench combat, but the battlefield is changing.

Troops increasingly fight in smaller force concentrations from scattered defensive positions rather than heavily manned continuous trench networks. Meanwhile, the growing "kill zone, which is swarming with drones, makes it harder for troops to approach these front-line positions. While infantry remains critically important, drones and robots are bridging the gap and taking over more and more missions, from logistics to medevac to assault.

Defense manufacturers told Business Insider that grenade launchers are increasingly being mounted on uncrewed ground vehicles, or UGVs, allowing soldiers to strike Russian positions from a safer distance.

Oleg Fedoryshyn, the director of R&D for the Ukrainian robotic and defense company DevDroid, told Business Insider that grenade launchers are useful because soldiers "don't need to see the enemy to hit him."

A soldier in hiding is easier to hit with a grenade launcher than, say, a machine gun, which is a line-of-sight weapon.

Now, soldiers can mount them on ground robots so that they don't have to put themselves in harm's way. A soldier-carried grenade launcher might have a range of a few hundred meters, but using a robot, an operator can be tens of kilometers away.

DevDroid's TW-40 ground robotic system has a range of 70 kilometers on paved roads and up to 50 kilometers off-road, making it effective in the kill zone. And the mounted grenade launcher has a reach of 1.5 kilometers.

Ukraine has been using soldier-carried and truck-mounted grenade launchers since before Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The robots deliver similar firepower without risking human lives.

Ukraine's Third Army Corps, for example, said in September that it used grenade launchers on robots to "dismantle enemy positions" in its Operation Vivaldi, characterizing it as "a new tactic."

"Equipped with dual Bullspike grenade launchers, the UGVs attacked Russian positions before detonating directly inside the enemy's shelters. The occupiers believed they were under assault by an entire assault squad; in reality, they were being pulverized by the Third Assault Brigade's robots," the brigade wrote on Telegram.

It said that robots were able to strike, put psychological pressure on Russian forces, and clear the position "all without putting our infantry at risk."

"This is a tactic never before seen in the history of warfare. The robots were controlled by operators from a secure shelter located tens of kilometers away from the front line."

Robots armed with grenade launchers are another example of how this war is blending elements of old warfare with new, advanced technologies. In this war, it's not uncommon to see drones dropping grenades or electronic warfare sharing the battlefield with artillery.

In addition to grenade launchers, robots can also fire other weapons, such as RPGs and American-made M2 Browning machine guns.

DevDroid's goal with its systems is "to change all roles that we can change to save people's lives," Fedoryshyn said.

That goal is shared by Ukraine's soldiers, defense industry, and leadership. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, told Business Insider that Ukraine is constantly working to increase the distance between troops and the fighting.

"Our philosophy is, above all, to preserve our personnel," he explained. "We strive to position our fighters as far as possible from the line of contact and the zones of highest risk — the so-called 'kill zones.'"

Other manufacturers say they're seeing a shift in how soldiers use armed robots in combat.

Defense firm Frontline Robotics makes the Buria autonomous remote weapon station, which allows soldiers to fire grenade launchers and other weapons remotely. Early last year, Ukrainian forces were hiding them in prepared locations to stop Russian advances.

"But right now, everything has changed," Mykyta Rozhkov, chief business development officer, told Business Insider, pointing to the growing drone saturation on the battlefield.

Now, it's being mounted on UGVs, creating small tanks that can advance toward Russian positions without exposing troops.

DevDroid's Fedoryshyn said robots armed with grenade launchers are most effective when paired with robots carrying machine guns and aerial drones that can spot targets and direct fire.

Robots can be used to transport gear, evacuate the wounded, blow up enemy positions, lay mines, and fire various types of weaponry. Their use has increased dramatically. Ukraine's defense ministry said in June that it had contracted over 22,000 uncrewed ground vehicles so far in 2026, nearly twice as many as all of the previous year.

The Da Vinci Wolves' Yabchanka said that he sees that "many units have begun employing UGVs. This usage has already become widespread. Ground-based robotic systems are becoming an integral part of combat operations for most units deployed along the line of contact."

As UGV use grows, Rozhkov said that Frontline Robotics' goal is to "provide different robotic solutions to get people outside the danger zone. So just to keep the line with the robots."