War in Ukraine: “They save lives”, what are robot dogs, these precious allies of kyiv against the Russian army ?

Ces chiens-robots pourraient devenir un allié précieux pour une armée ukrainienne. AFP – GENYA SAVILOV

Furtifs et agiles, des chiens-robots sont déployés pour soulager les soldats ukrainiens de missions périlleuses, allant de l’inspection de tranchées russes à la détection de mines, et pourraient bientôt devenir une aide courante sur le front.

During a demonstration at a confidential location in Ukraine, a metal dog of the model “BAD One”, fresh out of its trunk, stands up, crouches, runs or jumps according to the orders given by its operator on his remote control.

Derived from a commercially available model, this robot also comes in a more sophisticated version, “BAD Two”, which cannot be shown for security reasons.

A valuable ally

Capable of taking on many roles on the front lines, these robot dogs could become a valuable ally for a Ukrainian army that lacks the manpower to repel the Russian invasion that has been underway for nearly two and a half years.

Short-legged and therefore difficult to detect, they can notably inspect enemy trenches or the interiors of buildings in combat zones thanks to their thermal imaging.

“We have soldiers […] sent on reconnaissance missions" who are “most of the time highly trained, highly experienced people” but who are “permanently exposed to risks”, explains the operator “Iouri” (a pseudonym), while carrying out a demonstration in front of AFP journalists.

"This dog limits risks for soldiers and increases operational capabilities", adds this specialist from a British company which develops military solutions. "In the end, it saves lives".

The machine used for the demonstration moves thanks to a battery which gives it an autonomy of "between two and three hours", he assures.

Useful for detecting mines or improvised explosive devices, the robot dog can also be used to deliver ammunition or medicine to hot spots on the battlefield.

"I can't say how many we have deployed, nor of course where they are deployed (in Ukraine, Editor's note)", slides "Yuri", believing that "the war in Ukraine changed the way of waging war throughout the world".

A few thousand dollars

"A dog that costs a few thousand dollars can take on a task that you would otherwise expend a lot of technology, communication systems and at least three to five soldiers", he adds.

And if it were to be immobilized or captured, the "canine" is equipped with’ an emergency switch that erases all the data it has stored.