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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced what he described as a historic first in modern warfare, stating that Ukrainian forces successfully captured an enemy position using only unmanned systems, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Zelensky, the operation was carried out exclusively with the use of ground robotic complexes and aerial drones, without any direct involvement of infantry units.

He noted that opposing forces surrendered during the operation and were subsequently taken prisoner, with no casualties reported on the Ukrainian side.

Ukrainian forces captured a Russian position using only drones and unmanned ground robotic systems (UGVs) for the first time since the war began in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky displayed the country's arsenal on X, writing, "The future is already on the front line – and Ukraine is building it." He added in the post, "These are our ground robotic systems. For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms – ground systems and drones." Zelensky claimed that there was no infantry involved, no losses on its side and that the Russian troops surrendered. The president also said that over the past three months, Ukrainian ground robotic systems have carried out more than 22,000 missions, with systems such as “Ratel”, “Termit”, “Ardal”, “Rys”, “Zmii”, “Protector”, “Volya”, and others.

"In other words, lives were saved more than 22,000 times when a robot went into the most dangerous areas instead of a warrior," Zelensky said. He also addressed Ukraine’s defense industry in a video, and thanked "everyone involved — in workshops, design bureaus, laboratories, testing grounds, production and repair facilities — everyone working every day for Ukraine." Praising the drones, the president said that they can reach a distance of 1,750 kilometres from Ukraine’s border, and this will increase in the future. “It is not about records, but about justice that finds evil anywhere in the world,” he said, adding that systems such as “Sichen,” “Liutyi,” “Morok,” “Bars,” “Obriy,” and FP are evidence of this," he said.

Praising the country's military capabilities, he further wrote, "Ukraine has its own long-range missile weapons. Not just in development, but a real force already at work. Flamingo and Ruta, Peklo and Neptune, Palianytsia and Vilkha." Zelensky stated that negotiations to create a joint air defense system with European partners will take place this week. Issuing a warning, he said, "Either Ukraine becomes an inseparable part of Europe’s security system, or some in Europe risk becoming part of the Russian world." Notably, Ukraine's Drone Line, costing $880 million and operational since March 2025, killed nearly 30,000 Russian soldiers in a single winter.

Zelensky emphasized that this marks the first known instance in the history of warfare where a position was seized entirely through robotic and drone systems, highlighting the rapidly evolving role of autonomous and remote-controlled technologies on the battlefield.