Ukraine Reports World's First Amphibious Combat Mission by Unmanned Ground Drone

Screenshot of the video published on Telegram by the 123rd Brigade. Source: x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA

Ukraine has, according to its own statements, deployed an armed ground drone in coordination with an unmanned boat on a Russian-occupied coast for the first time. The robot opened fire on the Kinburn Peninsula.

Operation Details

The operation took place on July 13 on the Kinburn Peninsula in southern Ukraine, as the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade announced on its social media channels. It is described as the first known combat mission of its kind worldwide.

According to the report:

• An unmanned watercraft transported a remote-controlled ground drone, equipped with a heavy machine gun, to the beach.
• The device drove ashore and opened fire.

A video released by the brigade shows the boat lowering a ramp, the ground drone rolling out, and later firing at a target. The brigade did not provide information on targets hit or possible casualties.

Official Statement

"A ground-based robotic complex was brought to the enemy coast by an unmanned sea platform, deployed on occupied territory, and used for a combat mission."

The brigade described the operation as "a new approach in warfare, where the most dangerous tasks are taken over by a machine." The Ukrainian military intelligence service was involved, according to the brigade.

International Reaction

The newspaper Kyiv Independent, which first reported on the operation, titled its report: "A new era of war begins." The US magazine Forbes referred to it as the first robotic amphibious landing.

The event could not be independently verified; the account is based on information from the Ukrainian armed forces and the video material they distributed.

Background: The Kinburn Peninsula

The Kinburn Peninsula is a narrow spit of land between the Dnipro estuary and the Black Sea. Russian troops occupied the area in 2022. Since the beginning of June, there have been reports of a possible partial Russian withdrawal. The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) referred to unconfirmed information from a Ukrainian partisan group, but the Ukrainian military could not confirm this.

Broader Context

The operation is part of a series of Ukrainian drone operations at sea. The domestic intelligence service SBU announced on Thursday that, together with the navy, it had hit two tankers of the Russian shadow fleet in the Black Sea with sea drones.

Ukraine is increasingly relying on unmanned ground vehicles. According to Forbes, production is expected to rise from 10,000 units last year to 50,000 this year.