Ukraine Unleashes Assault Robot 'Fury' on Russian Troops
Enter the Robots
Initially, when the Russia-Ukraine conflict heated up in 2022, all the political analysts gave the edge to Russia, considering its manpower and military strength. But, Ukraine has surprised everyone by emerging as a formidable opponent in this struggle with its unique maneuvers, Interesting Engineering reported. The most recent one has been Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs) on the front lines to inflict damage on Russian troops.
Introduction of Lyut – 'Fury'
In May 2024, the Ukrainian government introduced its plans of incorporating Lyut in their battlefield assaults against the enemies, Interesting Engineering reported. The robotic weapon is equipped with a PKT 7.62 mm machine gun, making it more efficient when it comes to targeting the opposition. The robot has been constructed keeping combat situations and stress in mind by engineers. The whole system is an all-wheel-drive vehicle mounted on a wheeled chassis. The robot went through internal testing, and multiple results as formal codification to become an industrial prototype. After that, it was subjected to thirty trials to become battleground-ready for Ukraine.
Design of Lyut
The Fury is equipped with four wheels, a radio for receiving operator commands, video cameras, and a remotely-aimed machine gun, Forbes reported. The robot is layered with thick plates, to protect it from enemy fire. "The Fury robot attacks the Russian positions and covers our defenders during the assault," Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s innovation minister shared. "The military liked that it was easy to control, and noted the robot’s high level of radio and video communication, as well as its good sight and automatic fire both day and night." The design of Fury, is still in the initial stages, as per the engineers, Interesting Engineering reported. The experts want to add more updates, to make the assault weapon more lethal against the enemy. The first display of Fury's firepower was witnessed in the Russian village of Volfino, just across the Russia-Ukraine border.
UGV's Attack on Enemies
The 8th Separate Special Operations Regiment of Ukraine recently shared footage of a UGV successfully executing an assault on a Russian position, Interesting Engineering reported. The video features Fury, in all its glory launching one attack after another. Fury easily broke through the attacks put on it by Russians, and annihilated the enemies with one single explosion. "The outcome: part of the enemy was destroyed, and the rest fled," said the 1st Detachment of the 8th Special Purpose Regiment, the UGV’s operators, on social media. "The robot sustained several hits from RPGs and FPVs but persevered, completed its mission, and returned for recovery." As per reports, the UGV's movements on the battlefield have raised concerns for Russian authorities.
Impact of UGV
In the past, if soldiers were involved in such assaults, there would likely be injuries as well as casualties, Interesting Engineering reported. In this case, even if UGVs are damaged, the incurred losses will be less compared to the human losses, as per experts. The Fury's making cost has been estimated to be around $16,000 per unit by researchers, which is less than many traditional weapons, making it an even more effective alternative, according to researchers.