Since the February 2022 invasion the war in Ukraine has been characterised by the use of drones and remote systems. While we’ve seen aerial drone use expand and evolve extremely rapidly and naval drones have proven themselves very effective, ground based drone use has been much slower to evolve with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) seeing some limited use delivering explosive charges, mines and taking on logistical roles.
One unmanned ground system which I didn’t expect to see is the use of ‘robot dogs’ (робот-собака). These quadrupedal, remotely operated systems were seen for the first time earlier this month, most notably with Ukraine’s 28th Mechanised Brigade.
The first footage of the robot dogs in Ukraine was shared by members of Kurt & Company (a unit with the 28th Mechanised Brigade) on 2 August, it shows one of the dogs being demonstrated in a field navigating though fields and woodland, through brush and righting itself when it got stuck trying to climb over a fallen branch.
Another video appeared on 5 August, with the robot dog seen moving along a bombed out residential street and being carried by its operator, a member of Kurt & Company. The footage does not show the dog operating inside any buildings. The post claims the footage was filmed in Toretske, Donetsk.
On the 8 August, France24, published an article based on a demonstration of one of the robot dogs during which the model of dog was referred to as “BAD 1” and a second model “BAD 2” was referenced but described as more advanced and “could not be shown for security reasons”. The article also noted that if one of the dogs ever fell “into Russian hands… an emergency switch allows the operator to erase all its data.” AFP shared a short video from the demonstration which noted that the drones were provided by BRIT Alliance, a UK-based security company which specialises in deploying drone systems. Interestingly, some articles describe the robot dogs as ‘British built’, however, they actually appear to be Chinese Unitree Go-2 robot dogs. The Unitree name can be seen below the dog’s camera sensor in the AFP video, as well as a Kurt & Company sticker on its right side.
The Unitree Go-2 has a number of interesting features including the ability to map areas using LIDAR scanning, an AI mode that helps it navigate complex terrain and a live camera feed. Unitree’s site lists them as available from $1,850 for a Go-2 air and $3,050 for a Go-2 Pro. The Go-2 Pro model weighs around 15kg, has an 8kg payload, a battery life of up to 2 hours and a top speed of just under 8mph. Intriguingly back in 2022, Russia displayed the M-81, a robot dog armed with an RPG-26, at the Army 2022 defence exposition. The M-81 was actually based on Unitree’s Go-1 robot dog.
A further video was shared on 12 August, the drone is seen camouflaged with what may be a Ukrainian digicam shirt. In the same video the word ‘B.A.D.2.’ can be seen stenciled on the body of the dog.
On the 14 August, Kurt & Company shared a series of photos of a robot dog and operator with the caption [machine translated] “Better to buy robots than lose soldiers”. In several of the photos the dog has a backpack and radio strapped and taped to its back. On examination of the images this dog appears to be of a different design and resembles the DeepRobotics Lite3 Venture model, DeepRobotics are another Chinese manufacturer. This model weighs in at 12.2kg and has a 2 hour endurance.
The same day the brigade’s official telegram page shared another video of the robot dog being demonstrated with the caption [machine translated]:
“Asymmetric responses are effective against the enemy’s numerical superiority in manpower, and they are possible thanks to technologies and innovative approaches in the conduct of hostilities.
As an example – this robot dog at the service of “Kurt&Company”.
He has many talents and a wide potential for use on the battlefield. Just as drones once changed warfare, so our four-legged robotic friends will influence the course of hostilities.”
The short video included clips of the dog on the move, doing backflips, and walking along a bombed out residential street.
Also on the 14 August, Ukrainian Army social media channels also shared the same photographs previously shared with a caption quoting the commander of Kurt & Company as saying: “Such a dog should be in every unit”.
It’s unclear how many of the robot dogs might be in use in Ukraine, or if they’ve been used on operations yet. A BILD article published on 14 August, claimed that as many as 30 have been deployed but there’s no further evidence to support this. A Новини ФАКТ article stated they had been used operationally in Toretsk but this remains unconfirmed.
While the quadrupedal design of the robot dogs means they are, in theory at least, more capable of climbing stairs than tracked or wheeled UGVs their utility remains to be seen. They have less capability to carry payloads and its unclear if they’ll be used in a one-way role with explosive payloads – though given every other unmanned system in Ukraine has, it is probably a just matter of time. Unlike some of the simpler tracked and wheeled UGVs the Go-2 robot dogs are probably more expensive, harder to maintain and have a larger profile making them more vulnerable to enemy fire. It has been noted that they will also likely be utilised in reconnaissance of enemy trenches ahead of assault teams but again evidence of this has not yet surfaced.
It seems that the role the dogs would be best used for is reconnaissance in urban areas where aerial drones can’t easily navigate inside structures, removing the need to send troops to recce buildings to locate the enemy. It seems that this is the role that the Ukrainians have in mind for the dogs. While China, the US and a range of other militaries have tested robot dogs, including the mounting of small arms and even light anti-armour weapons, if they are utilised in combat in Ukraine this will represent a battlefield first for this type of system.
Update – 20/8/24: An another video of one of the Chinese Robot Dogs, a Unitree Go-2, in Ukraine posted on 19 August.
Update – 8/9/24: Some additional video featuring both models of robot dog previously identified.
Update – 15/1/25:
Support Us: If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including early access to custom stickers and early access to videos! You can also find us on the History of Weapons & War app. Thank you for your support!
The Armourers Bench 