U.S. Military Robots in Ukraine Are Mostly Controlled by People, Not Autopilot

More than 100 remote-controlled robots made by Forterra have completed 1,100 missions in Ukraine since October 2025, traveling 2,500 miles and helping evacuate 52 wounded. Despite being designed to work alone, Ukrainian operators steer them by remote control—they're too valuable to risk, and the autonomous systems aren't reliable enough for combat yet.