Political Strategy of Rogozin: Sending Unmanned Ground Vehicles from Russia to Ukraine - Is it Significant?
In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia's push into AI and unmanned military systems is evident, with the Marker UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) being a key example. As of mid-2025, the Marker UGV is considered an experimental combat platform, developed by the Advanced Research Foundation and Android Technologies, and presented as a test bed for autonomous, robotic, and artificial intelligence technologies.
The Marker UGV is designed to safeguard soldiers and make missions more effective, but its success is crucial as it marks a significant step in Russia's advanced developments. However, the broader context of the Ukraine war has shown Ukraine, supported by Western AI-enabled intelligence and targeting systems, gaining an edge, while Russia has primarily responded with increased drone use and electronic warfare.
The Marker UGV is equipped with antitank guided missiles, automatic grenade launchers, and machine guns, and its AI-enabled autonomous capabilities may be tested to distinguish enemy tanks using data sets. The Russian military is carefully rolling out remote-controlled Uran-6 and Prokhod demining UGVs across areas of the Donbas under Russian control, demonstrating that this advanced capacity is combat-ready, although in very small numbers.
Rogozin, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, announced the arrival of several Marker UGVs in the Donbas, Ukraine, on February 2, 2023. He further promised to install antitank weapons on the Marker UGVs, possibly to confront Western-provided tanks. The Marker UGV is designed as a "soldier's assistant" on the battlefield, with key technologies such as computer vision, communications, navigation, autonomous movement, and group control.
However, the Marker UGV’s AI capabilities remain in the research and testing phase, with field combat testing limited or undeclared. There are five total Marker variants in existence, each with a specific purpose: reconnaissance, combat, guard, logistics, and cargo transport/evacuation of wounded. Yet, concrete evidence of autonomous Marker UGVs operating independently on the battlefield is not publicly available.
The Russian military has multiple UGV projects that have been tested and fielded in limited roles over the past six years, but the Marker UGV is the second Russian UGV to go into actual combat. Despite these advancements, Russia has yet to resolve logistical issues related to UGV retrieval from combat if they get damaged, suggesting that their contributions in the near term are likely to do little to affect the balance on the battlefield or influence the outcomes of spring offensives.
As the war in Ukraine continues, the need for advanced technology like the Marker UGV becomes increasingly apparent. However, the full potential of this technology remains to be seen, with Russia still in the process of developing and fielding these systems effectively.
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