Ukraine Deploys Armed Robot From Drone Boat Into Russian-Occupied Territory In First Known Robotic Amphibious Assault

Ukraine says it has carried out the world’s first known combat mission in which an unmanned surface vessel (USV), or drone boat, transported an armed ground robot into Russian-occupied territory.

The operation was carried out by Ukraine’s 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade on the Russian-held Kinburn Spit, a narrow strip of land at the end of Ukraine’s Kinburn Peninsula.

Ukrainian officials have previously described the area as a strategic position used by Russian forces to restrict maritime access to the Black Sea.

According to the brigade, the drone boat crossed the Black Sea to a point behind Russian lines before reaching the coast. It then lowered a front ramp, allowing an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) armed with a machine gun to drive onto the shore.

Video released by the brigade showed the robot moving inland and opening fire at an unidentified target. The brigade said the mission was “the first known combat mission of this format in the world.”

“The ground robotic complex was delivered to the enemy shore using an unmanned maritime platform, landed on occupied Ukrainian territory, and employed to accomplish a combat task,” it said in a statement posted on Telegram.

No soldiers. Just machines.

Ukraine has carried out the world’s first known combat mission in which a sea drone transported and deployed an armed ground robot behind Russian lines on the occupied Kinburn Spit. pic.twitter.com/zyJdFXWxVb

— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) July 13, 2026

Ukraine did not disclose the objective of the mission, identify the target that was engaged, or say whether the robot was recovered after the operation. It also did not reveal which drone boat or ground robot was used.

The brigade said the operation was led by its commander, Colonel Oleg Makukha, and carried out by the 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion under Major Denys Gipik. It did not say when the mission took place.

The video showed the drone boat, powered by an outboard motor, beaching itself before lowering its bow ramp and releasing the wheeled robot. After the robot drove ashore, the drone boat moved away. It is not clear whether there was any attempt to retrieve the ground vehicle.

According to reports cited in the source material, the robot appears to be from the Rys family developed by Roboneers.

It is equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun and is designed for roles including logistics, casualty evacuation, combat engineering, combat support, mine-laying and demining.

The platform also typically uses a ballistic computer and artificial intelligence to assist with target detection, tracking and engagement.

Interesting use of Ukrainian UGV Droid TW-7.62 equipped with an FN MAG machine gun to shoot down FPV drones over Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

The robot warfare is here. pic.twitter.com/7Y2zj2jdoP

— Dimko Zhluktenko (@dim0kq) March 15, 2026

The operation combines two systems that Ukraine has increasingly relied on during the war. Naval drones have been used to target Russian Black Sea Fleet ships, while ground robots have been deployed for missions considered too dangerous for troops, including transporting supplies and ammunition, evacuating wounded soldiers, laying mines, launching other drones and carrying out attacks.

The Kinburn Spit remains an important area in the Black Sea because of its location near the mouth of the Dnipro River. Ukrainian officials have said Russian forces use the occupied area as a strategic foothold to restrict maritime access in the region.

Earlier this year, according to the source material, another armed ground robot, the Droid TW-7.62, reportedly shot down two Russian drones before opening fire on Russian infantry, killing one soldier and injuring another while continuing to operate despite artillery fire.

The 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade said the Kinburn Spit mission was the first known combat operation in which a ground robot was delivered to occupied territory by an unmanned maritime platform to carry out a combat task. No further details about the mission or its outcome were released.

References: businessinsider, robottoday