How Ukraine won a battle with robots alone

About this episode

The episode discusses how Ukraine successfully utilized robots to win a battle without risking soldiers.

For the first time in history a country has apparently won a battle using only robots, without a soldier on the ground put at risk. Ukraine claims to have recently taken over a Russian position – forcing Russian soldiers to surrender – using robotic systems alone. President Zelensky has been asking the world for help to fight Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. But in the years since, Ukraine has revolutionised the technology of warfare with battlefield robots and drones, and now other countries are turning to it for its technology and expertise. We speak to the journalist and defence expert Mark Urban about how Ukraine went from needy to needed. Producers: Lucy Pawle and Viv Jones Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith Mixed by: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: The "ASLAN" unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is tested during a NATO exercise in Germany, February 20, 2026. Photo by: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters

People in this episode

Guest: Mark Urban

Topics covered

• robot warfare
• Ukraine
• Russia
• military technology
• drones
• defense
• Zelensky

Keywords

• Ukraine
• robots
• battle
• military technology
• Zelensky
• drones
• defense expert
• Mark Urban

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Products: ASLAN

Places: Ukraine, Russia, Germany

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