Episode

How Ukraine won a battle with robots alone

Podcast
The Global Story
Published
Apr 30, 2026
Duration seconds
1616
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct8mf5
Audio
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss/proto/http/vpid/p0nhfqf5.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/the-global-story-6677479/episodes/how-ukraine-won-a-battle-with-robots-alone
Markdown
/podcast/the-global-story-6677479/how-ukraine-won-a-battle-with-robots-alone.md

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Summary

For the first time in history a country has apparently won a battle using only robots, without a soldier on the ground put at risk. Ukraine claims to have recently taken over a Russian position – forcing Russian soldiers to surrender – using robotic systems alone. President Zelensky has been asking the world for help to fight Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. But in the years since, Ukraine has revolutionised the technology of warfare with battlefield robots and drones, and now other countries are turning to it for its technology and expertise. We speak to the journalist and defence expert Mark Urban about how Ukraine went from needy to needed. Producers: Lucy Pawle and Viv Jones Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith Mixed by: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: The "ASLAN" unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is tested during a NATO exercise in Germany, February 20, 2026. Photo by: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters