Machines are capable of performing reconnaissance operations and transporting medical supplies to soldiers stationed at the front line.
British-supplied "robot dogs" have been deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine, marking their first known use in active combat.
Footage released by Kurt & Company, a specialized unit within Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade, shows these dystopian machines operating near the front lines in the war-torn Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
This week, it was reported that over 30 of the second-generation Brit Alliance Dog (BAD2) units have been provided to Ukraine by the UK security company Brit Alliance.
Equipped with remote-sensing technology and a thermal-infrared camera, these low-profile robots can navigate inside trenches, buildings, and dense vegetation where aerial drones are less effective.
The robots can move at speeds of up to 9 mph for up to five hours, carrying over 7 kg of ammunition, medical supplies, or other critical items to hotspots on the battlefield. To Russian surveillance drones, the BAD2 appears as the heat signature of a rabbit, thanks to an anti-thermal camouflage blanket supplied by the German company Concamo, making it difficult to detect. If captured, the robot's data can be erased remotely.
A significant advantage of these machines is their affordability, with each unit costing between £3,400 and £6,800, depending on modifications.
The commander of Kurt & Company, who goes by the call sign "Kurt," told The Telegraph, "If one dog saves a soldier's life, we'll consider it a success."
"Our primary goal is to save our soldiers' lives, making the BAD2 crucial for us. These robodogs can perform reconnaissance, surveillance, detect enemy ground targets, deliver provisions and medicines, search for personnel, and assist in aiming artillery."
Kurt also mentioned that his unit is modifying the robots to function as kamikaze drones against vehicles or enemy soldiers.
"We plan to deploy them in large numbers after completing the necessary modifications to suit our needs," he added. "This process is already in progress."
Robo-dogs ‘not designed to kill’
Kyle Thorburn, the managing director of Brit Alliance, shared with The Telegraph that the company spent time embedded with Ukraine's 28th Brigade to develop solutions for urban environments and trench warfare.
Thorburn explained that the BAD2 is a modified version of a quadruped robot originally developed by the Chinese company DeepRobotics. However, it has been completely stripped down, reprogrammed, and refitted for its new mission.
While Thorburn declined to specify the exact number of units supplied to Ukraine, he emphasized that the BAD2 was not designed as a weapon but to "save lives."
“That’s our ultimate goal,” he stated, highlighting the robot’s capabilities in identifying booby traps and mines as it navigates the challenging conditions of the battlefield.
“Why risk soldiers when a dog can do the job?” he questioned. Valerii Riabykh, a former consultant to Ukraine’s military, noted that adapting robodogs for use as suicide drones could be highly valuable in combat.
“Destroying key targets, especially in urban areas or forests where UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] cannot reach, is a critical task,” Riabykh told The Telegraph.
He believes that robodogs have a “great future on the battlefield” as militaries worldwide increasingly look to replace humans with robots for dangerous missions.
However, Riabykh pointed out that because the BAD2 is based on civilian rather than military technology, its combat effectiveness is somewhat limited.
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