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Ukraine reveals remote-controlled, wheeled drone that can drive under Russian tanks

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk October 26, 2023 2:48 PM 1 min read
The Ratel S unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developed by Ukraine's military industry. (Mykhailo Fedorov/Twitter)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukrainian military tech developers created a new unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with the ability to carry explosives and drive under armored vehicles, the project's spokesperson, Viktoriia Kovalchuk, told Business Insider on Oct. 25.

The UGV, named Ratel S or Honey Badger, was developed as part of the Brave1 government initiative.

The initiative was launched in April to invest in defense tech innovations that can be utilized by the Ukrainian military, as well as serve as a platform to connect the industry's stakeholders.

"The main idea is that the robot (Ratel S) is used as a mobile warhead that carries anti-tank mines or other explosive devices," said Kovalchuk, adding that it can run for 40–50 minutes at an average speed or for up to two hours at a slower speed.

Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov also shared pictures of the Ratel S and videos of it in action on Telegram.

The Ratel S passed field tests, Fedorov said, and has been put into mass production.

It will join a number of other innovative pieces of Ukrainian military equipment developed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Fighting smarter: Ukraine’s transformation into a military innovator
Before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 27-year-old engineer Maxim Sheremet was engaged in the manufacturing of commercial drones. He worked for the state defense company Ukroboronprom, a strategic manufacturer of weapons and military hardware in Ukraine, and later at Evolve Dynami…
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