Ukraine ramps up secret military robot production to outsmart Russia

Approximately 250 defense industry start-ups across Ukraine are focusing on developing robots for military operations. They are being created in discreet locations such as basements or abandoned warehouses. Ukraine's ambitious goal is to produce one million flying machines annually.

Faced with a personnel shortage, Ukraine is trying to gain a strategic advantage over Russia by setting up hundreds of secret workshops in abandoned warehouses and basements. These hidden locations produce an army of robots, which could play a significant role in their military strategy.

According to the British newspaper "The Telegraph," Ukraine plans to use robots to eliminate Russian soldiers and more effectively rescue their wounded soldiers and civilians.

Approximately 250 defense industry start-ups across Ukraine are working on creating combat machines in secret locations, which often resemble rural car workshops. Employees of a start-up led by entrepreneur Andriy Denysenko can assemble an unmanned ground vehicle named Odyssey in just four days.

The main advantage of this vehicle is its price. It costs $35,000, about 10% of the cost of an imported model. Odyssey, about the size of a car, recently performed an impressive maneuver, spinning around its axis and lifting off the ground. This prototype currently serves as a rescue and supply platform, but its design allows further adaptation.

Engineers who create robots often seek inspiration from articles in defense magazines and films that are available online. Thanks to these sources of knowledge, they can develop their projects more efficiently and cost-effectively.

"We are fighting a huge country, and they don't have any resource limits. We understand that we cannot spend a lot of human lives,” Denysenko, head of the defense start-up UkrPrototyp, told "The Telegraph."

According to the government website dedicated to fundraising for the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, the future of these robots includes wide applications. They can function as logistical devices, mine layers, and even robots programmed for self-destruction in critical situations.

Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, encourages citizens to actively use free online courses and build drones at home. His ambitious goal is for Ukrainians to produce one million such flying machines annually.

"We will do everything to make unmanned technologies develop even faster. (Russia’s) murderers use their soldiers as cannon fodder, while we lose our best people,” Fedorov wrote on social media.

According to "The Telegraph," the first robot models are already proving their effectiveness on the battlefield, demonstrating their usefulness and efficiency in practical conditions.

Denysenko's company is currently developing innovative projects, including a motorized exoskeleton designed to enhance soldiers' strength. The project also includes specialized transport vehicles that will not only facilitate the transportation of military equipment but also support soldiers in overcoming hills and rugged terrain.