Ukraine conducts the world's first combat mission using a sea drone to deploy an armed ground robot on the Kinburn Spit.
The 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade successfully executed the first known combat mission where a sea drone transported and deployed an armed ground robot behind Russian lines. The operation took place on the Kinburn Spit in southern Ukraine, a narrow strip of land at the mouth of the Dnieper River. The mission featured an uncrewed surface vessel that beached itself and lowered a bow ramp, allowing a wheeled ground robot to roll onto the shore. Once on land, the robot, part of the Rys family of vehicles, used its 7.62mm machine gun to engage targets while the sea drone retreated. This robotic approach allows Ukraine to conduct reconnaissance and combat missions without exposing human soldiers to direct fire in a high-risk coastal environment. The operation highlights Ukraine's rapid innovation in uncrewed systems. By utilizing robots for logistics, engineering, and fire support, the military aims to keep personnel out of the firing line while maintaining a steady pace of technological advancement against Russian forces.