Ukraine carries out world's first sea drone combat robot landing
Ukrainian forces use a sea platform to deploy a combat robot for the first time (photo: RBC-Ukraine collage)
Soldiers of Ukraine's 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade carried out what they described as the world's first deployment of an unmanned ground vehicle onto a Russian-occupied shoreline using a remotely controlled sea platform.
Unique operation on the Kinburn Spit
The military delivered and deployed an unmanned ground vehicle onto the occupied shore of the Kinburn Spit in the Mykolaiv region. The operation was carried out under the leadership of Colonel Oleh Makuha, commander of Ukraine's 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, and Major Denys Hipik, commander of the brigade's 1st Battalion of Unmanned Systems.
The brigade said that until recently, such a mission had seemed like something from the future.
"The first combat mission of this kind known to us in the world: an unmanned ground vehicle was delivered to the enemy shore by an unmanned sea platform, deployed onto the occupied land of our homeland, and used to carry out a combat mission," the brigade said.
For the first time, the Ukrainian military has delivered a ground robot to the Kinburn Spit using an unmanned maritime platform
— BLYSKAVKA (@blyskavka_ua) July 13, 2026
The robot was successfully deployed on the occupied coastline and used to carry out a combat mission.
This is the first known operation of its… pic.twitter.com/z6yXKeR1EB
Not an experiment, but a new tactic
The brigade stressed that this was not a technical gimmick, but a new approach to conducting combat operations. Now, a machine takes the risk instead of a person.
The unmanned raft carrying the robotic system made it possible to deliver the equipment to a place where every meter of shoreline is dangerous, and the risk to human life is too high.
Over the past day, the Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed and damaged 1,725 pieces of enemy equipment and personnel on the front line.
Ukrainian defenders continue to inflict significant losses on the Russian forces every day.
Recently, NASA satellites detected new fires in the Azov region. The fire hotspots appeared in territory under enemy control.
