Ukraine uses ground robots to lay defensive wire

Ukraine’s 16th Separate Support Brigade is using remotely operated wheeled robots to lay defensive wire in exposed areas, keeping military engineers under cover during the work.

The machines carry wire coils on frames mounted above their wheels and release the material as they move along a chosen route. Images shared by the Ukrainian military show a six-wheeled vehicle, but its manufacturer and model have not been identified.

The Ground Forces of Ukraine said on social media that installing barriers in open areas puts combat engineers at risk, and that ground-based drones are now doing this work. The military has not disclosed the robots’ carrying capacity, operating range, or how much wire they can lay in one mission. It has also not said how many such vehicles are in use or reported figures for successful installations or equipment losses.

Ukraine’s DELTA military management platform recorded 19,940 robotic operations in July 2026, up from 7,511 in January. By early September, the total was about 112,000. These figures cover robotic operations generally, not wire-laying missions, and do not establish how often these vehicles are used or how effective they are. Other ground robots are used to transport ammunition and supplies, according to the source.