Russia Creates FPV Kamikaze Ground Drone to Destroy 'Dragon's Teeth'

Russia has created a new, first-person-view (FPV) explosive ground robot, according to a Russian defense manufacturer, and it has been touted by state media as a world first in the fast-paced drone race.

Moscow is trialing a tracked drone, known as the "Depesha" robot, designed to take out personnel and military equipment, as well as "dragon's teeth" fortifications, Moscow's state-run Rostec defense giant said in a statement released on Saturday.

Dragon's teeth are concrete blocks used to halt tank advances and prevent mechanized infantry from gaining territory. They have been used in Ukraine.

The "Depesha" ground drone is controlled by an operator with a joystick, donning an FPV drone helmet, according to Rostec. Another uncrewed vehicle, referred to as the "Buggy," is a wheeled version that can also act as a kamikaze drone, the company said.

"Currently, ground robots are undergoing extensive testing," including in Ukraine, Rostec said.

Aerial FPV drones fill the skies above Ukraine, operated by both sides for a wide variety of purposes, such as reconnaissance, targeting, and carrying explosives toward enemy armored vehicles. FPV drone footage, showing combat operations along the front lines from the pilot's perspective, widely circulates online.

Ground drones developed by both countries, also known as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are designed to keep soldiers away from the hostilities and save lives.

Russia's RIA Novosti state news agency described the "Depesha" drone as "the world's first ground-based FPV kamikaze robot."

Ukrainian media and military reports have suggested in recent months that Ukrainian forces are using kamikaze ground drones against Russian troops. In April, Ukraine's 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade shared footage appearing to show a ground drone approaching a network of trenches manned by Russian soldiers, before exploding.

Earlier that month, Ukraine's digital transformation minister and drone tsar, Mykhailo Fedorov, said a Ukrainian ground-based kamikaze robot had helped Kyiv's fighters destroy a bridge in the eastern Donetsk region that Russian forces used to support their logistics operations.

In mid-March, the United24 platform—set up by the Ukrainian government for fundraising—said Kyiv had started mass-producing ground drones, with plans in place to buy hundreds of systems in the coming months.

Russia's Rostec said the "Depesha" robot had an explosive payload of 150 kilograms (about 330 pounds), and the "Buggy" could carry 250 kilograms of explosives.

"This makes these robots reliable assistants for front line fighters," Rostec said, adding the drones could also "quickly and quietly deliver provisions, ammunition, fuel to the front line and even evacuate wounded soldiers."

"We are witnessing a similar pattern on both sides when it comes to UGV developments," Samuel Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, previously told Newsweek.

Various types of ground drones with different roles have already popped up, including Russian models for logistics and Ukrainian designs fitting machine guns.

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