Drones
Ukraine: the Frodo ground robot tested with the “Buria” remote weapon station – shots up to 1.3 km
Ukraine’s Frodo unmanned ground vehicle, fitted with the “Buria” remote weapon station, was tested in the Kharkiv area in front of officers of the Border Guard “Pomsta” brigade, hitting targets at up to 1.3 kilometres.
The Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) Frodo, equipped with the “Buria” (Storm) remote weapon station, was tested in the Kharkiv area in front of officers of the Border Guard brigade “Pomsta” (Revenge). “The platform operated successfully on the range, in conditions close to combat,” the 3rd Border Guard Detachment “Colonel Yevhen Pikus” said in a Facebook post.
In one of its configurations, the “Buria” carries a 40 mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher or a 12.7 mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun. In the test the targets were hit at distances of up to 1.3 kilometres. The system weighs 47 kilograms, has a ballistic computer, can store up to 256 targets, aims in 3 seconds and operates autonomously for up to 48 hours. The platform has a range of up to 150 km on asphalt and 75 to 80 km on rough terrain. Reconnaissance was carried out with a Zoom quadcopter. The tactic, according to the makers, is “you come fast, you hit and you leave very fast”.
“Familiarising the brigade’s soldiers with such systems is aimed first of all at preserving the life and health of personnel, while increasing the effectiveness of neutralising enemy personnel and equipment,” the brigade noted.
The “Buria” is not new. The first version, for the Mk 19, was unveiled in 2024 and entered serial production in early 2025. “Buria 2.0”, presented in late 2025, has a common base for the Mk 19, RDS40 and AGS-53 grenade launchers and for the Browning M2 and similar machine guns. It was already integrated into Milrem’s Estonian THeMIS in August 2025 and into the Ukrainian UGV ARDAL in February 2026.
Frontline Robotics
Both the Frodo and the “Buria” are made by the Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics, founded in August 2023, according to Militarnyi. The Frodo was unveiled in late September. It is a six-wheeled 6×6 platform with a top speed of 40 km/h, a payload of 200 kilograms (up to 400 kg), independent suspension and the ability to keep moving after losing a wheel. For communications it can use Starlink, LTE, Silvus, ELRS and TBS. It has passed codification so that the Defence Forces can procure it, and is intended for resupply, casualty evacuation and as a carrier of weapon systems.
“We see the future of the battlefield as a robotic environment, where it is critical to control not only the air but also the ground,” said CEO Yevhen Tretiak. Germany’s Quantum Systems acquired 10% of the company in 2025, writes LB.ua. Russia is also developing similar systems, while in the air Ukraine is racing to find faster interceptor drones.
