Zelensky Says Ukraine Conquered Russian Position Exclusively With Robots And Drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “for the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was conquered exclusively by unmanned platforms, namely ground combat robots and drones,” describing an operation carried out “without infantry involvement and with no losses on our side.” Zone Militaire links the claim to March figures from the Institute for the Study of War, saying the Russian army “registered no territorial gains in Ukraine during March” while advancing “by about fifty square kilometers toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.” Zone Militaire also says Ukrainian forces carried out a “record number of drone strikes against Russia’s critical infrastructure” in March, and that Kyiv intercepted “about 90% of the 6,462 launched by Russian forces during the same period.” In the same account, Zone Militaire adds that Ukrainian forces used missiles and surface naval drones loaded with explosives such as the Magura V5 to keep the Russian Black Sea Fleet at bay before the robotic seizure.

La Presse reports that Zelensky said the operation was conducted “sans infanterie et sans pertes de notre côté,” and it quotes a brigade commander, Mykola Zinkevych, saying the objective was to use the technologies to replace “30 % du personnel” deployed in high-risk zones. TF1 Info also frames the same milestone through Zelensky’s video claim that “for the first time, an enemy position has been taken exclusively by unmanned platforms, ground systems and drones,” adding that “Robots do not bleed.” Ouest-France describes the robot used as developed by the Ukrainian startup DevDroid, and it says Ukrainian soldiers interviewed by the BBC noted that “the final decision to shoot remained human.” In the same Ouest-France account, a unit commander says there is “no need to worry for anyone’s life,” while it also notes that the connection is often provided via Starlink satellites and that jammers are ubiquitous.

Zone Militaire says Ukrainian general staff reported that the use of ground robots “has significantly increased in recent weeks,” with “9,000 missions in March,” described as “50% more than the previous month.” It also says the number of units using the technology rose from “67 at the end of 2025 to 167 in spring 2026,” with robots mainly used for “delivering ammunition and evacuating wounded soldiers.” The same source adds that Zelensky’s statements raise a question about control, concluding that “infantry remains indispensable, with or without robots.” La Presse, meanwhile, says Zelensky told partners to unlock a “prêt de 90miliardi de euro” and renew the “vingtième paquet de sanctions,” while it also reports that Human Rights Watch efforts are underway at the United Nations for a convention similar to one limiting antipersonnel mines.