Ukrainian firefighting robot helps soldiers for first time
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For the first time, Ukrainian soldiers used a robot to extinguish a blaze burning through a residential neighborhood following another Russian strike on civilians.
After discovering gas canisters at the scene of the fire in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, members of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov" deployed a Zmiy unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to avoid putting soldiers at increased risk.
The robot was able to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading, while soldiers stayed at a safe distance, the brigade wrote on social media.
"There was a threat of repeated shelling, then FPV drones — we would move to shelter at those times. When it was safe, we continued working," said the commander of the fire platoon of the brigade, with the call sign "Berdyansk."
Kramatorsk is the target of relentless Russian strikes, particularly on civilian areas. The attacks often spark fires that tear through homes and businesses.
RoverTech, the Ukrainian defense tech company that produces the Zmiy UGV (which translates to Snake), handed over firefighting robots to emergency services in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts in early March.
They can be deployed in hard to reach locations, transport equipment, and act as a platform for emergency responders.
"The robotic platform is equipped with a remote firefighting module, enabling operations in areas where there is a risk of repeated shelling or ammunition detonation," the company wrote on its website.
The Zmiy can be operated from a distance of up to 3,000 meters and tow up to 700 kilograms of cargo, according to RoverTech.
As Ukraine’s defense tech industry develops, companies and investors are increasingly looking into how products can be transferred to a civilian setting, like supporting emergency services in dangerous situations to reduce life threatening risks.
Kyiv is banking on its bourgeoning defense tech sector to be one of the key pillars in Ukraine's economic recovery. As companies mature, the sector has attracted much more foreign investment over the last year.
