Ukraine's Defense Ministry took the opportunity this week to showcase the latest weapon to aid in the fight against Russia: a robotic dog capable of being equipped with a flamethrower.
The robotic “military dogs” were provided to Ukraine by the UK, and their manufacturer, BRIT Alliance, says they have already demonstrated exceptional maneuverability and agility, essential for traversing complex and hostile environments.
The dogs have the ability to navigate through debris, climb obstacles and sneak across open ground.
A video posted by Ukraine News Live on X on Monday shows a drone delivering a “combat robot scout” to a battlefield in an undisclosed location. Once on the ground, the robot dog stands up and walks in place.
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Ukraine has released a video of its latest weapon: a robotic war dog. (Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)
Another video shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense and posted by the military's Khortytsia unit shows the dog accompanying a Ukrainian soldier, who is then seen using the dog's thermal imaging camera to surveil a forested area.
The dogs featured in both videos belong to a Ukrainian fighting unit called “Medoids.”
In August, Ukraine unveiled the British second generation Brit Alliance Dog (BAD2), which has been deployed to battlefields, where it has performed a wide range of wartime tasks, including transporting equipment and scouting, using remote sensing technology and thermal infrared cameras to navigate difficult terrain.
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Ukraine has released a video of its latest weapon: a robotic war dog. (Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)
The Ukrainian military has now deployed more than 30 of the dogs, which are essentially advanced land drones, with each one costing about $9,000 to produce, and BRIT Alliance has promised to update the dogs based on feedback from the Ukrainian military.
BRIT Alliance said in August that the battlefield demonstration of the BAD2 unit will help transform it into “a cornerstone of modern military logistics.” According to East2West, the unit can travel at just over nine miles per hour and travel distances of more than two miles in five hours.
Cleveland, Ohio-based company SlowFlame sells a flame-throwing robot dog called Thermonator, which retails for about $9,420.
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According to the company, the dogs can be used to suppress and prevent wildfires, as well as remove snow and ice.
For Ukraine, drones are playing an increasingly important role in the conflict, which has forced both sides to become more resourceful as Ukraine sees them as a way to increase its return on investment as the conflict drags on.
Ukraine deployed “Sea Baby” drones to destroy a Crimean bridge earlier this year, causing structural damage with naval drones that can carry a one-ton payload and fly at 62 miles per hour, Ukrainian media outlets reported. Euro Maiden Press.
Russia has responded with a land-based drone model that resembles a remote-controlled car. Called the Scorpion-M, it also has kamikaze capabilities and has seen increased use in the Donetsk region this summer.
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The Scorpion-M can carry up to 55 pounds of explosives and is used to destroy underground hideouts and other facilities that are difficult to reach with conventional bombing. Experts praise the drone's maneuverability, but point out that its real advantage is how difficult the unit is to jam.
In that sense, BAD2 offers similar benefits, plus increased mobility. Christopher Alexander, a U.S. Army veteran with stints at Strategic Operations Command, previously told Fox News Digital, “At the current state of technology, it's hard to imagine anyone fielding these at the company/battalion level.”
Fox News' Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
