Ukraine's robot drones have killed or wounded 3,000 Russian troops in Operation Vivaldi's deep-strike blitz

From the Newshound archive · first published 26 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Ukraine's Third Army Corps has recovered 124 square kilometres of occupied Donetsk using a tactic no army has ever attempted: air-dropping explosive ground robots deep behind Russian lines. Heavy bomber drones known as Griffins carried wheeled kamikaze robots more than 15km into Russian-held territory, releasing them to hunt down soldiers before detonating. Commander Mykola Zinkevych said Kremlin officers were left in "total panic", with Russian command refusing to believe the reports. The villages of Serednie, Shandryholove, Derylove and Drobysheve have all been liberated under the operation.

Griffin drones dropped the robots under cover of darkness while electronic warfare jammed Russian drones watching the front line.

Unit commander Darwin said the robots make 'the war safer for our soldiers' — 'this drone has no fear and, unlike men, we are not afraid to lose it.'

Kremlin commanders reportedly struggled to believe the tactic was possible, with Zinkevych describing radio chaos: 'a vehicle drove up, then exploded... a huge row broke out.'