Ukraine’s Army to Deploy New Ground Drone: What Is Known About It

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has officially approved the use of the new Zmiy Droid 12.7 ground robotic system in the Armed Forces.

This is a Ukrainian-made development capable of carrying out combat and reconnaissance missions under challenging frontline conditions.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The Zmiy Droid 12.7 is designed to perform a wide range of military tasks in active combat zones — from reconnaissance to providing fire support for units.

The robotic ground platform features high cross-country mobility, enabling it to traverse difficult off-road terrain and overcome sand, snow, and shallow water obstacles. This allows the system to be used in a wide range of climatic and terrain conditions.

Approval for operational use means that the Zmiy Droid 12.7 meets the requirements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and can be integrated into combat units to carry out real missions on the front line.

In recent years, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been actively expanding its fleet of ground robotic systems, focusing on domestically developed technologies.

These systems help reduce personnel losses, increase the effectiveness of reconnaissance and fire support, and adapt to the modern war of technologies.

Last year, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine approved over 1,300 new models of domestically produced weapons and military equipment for operational use — approximately 25% more than the previous year.

Weapons production in Ukraine

It is worth recalling that Ukraine is consistently ramping up its domestic weapons production. According to Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, 76% of the weapons needed for the front are centrally procured by the state from Ukrainian manufacturers.

At the same time, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has noted that more than half of the weapons currently in service with the Defense Forces are produced by Ukrainian companies.

RBC-Ukraine previously reported that Colonel Andrii Zhuravlov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Command of the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, announced that the military is expected to receive new samples of equipment and weapons in the near future, including modern unmanned systems and artillery.

Among the promising developments for the missile forces and artillery, he mentioned the 155 mm towed howitzer Marta with a 39-caliber barrel, as well as a 105 mm towed artillery system. Both systems are currently undergoing testing.

Back in July, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine’s domestic weapons production has increased 35-fold, and the state plans to continue expanding this capacity.