Ukrainian firefighting robot helps soldiers for first time

Key Points:

• Ukrainian soldiers used a Zmiy unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) for the first time to extinguish a fire in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, following a Russian strike, minimizing risk to personnel due to nearby gas canisters and potential repeated shelling.
• The 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov" deployed the robot to douse the fire remotely, preventing its spread while soldiers remained at a safe distance amid threats of further attacks and drone surveillance.
• The Zmiy UGV, produced by Ukrainian defense tech company RoverTech, is equipped with a remote firefighting module and can operate up to 3,000 meters away, capable of towing 700 kilograms and accessing hard-to-reach areas.
• RoverTech supplied firefighting robots to emergency services in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts in early March, reflecting a trend of adapting defense technologies for civilian emergency response to reduce life-threatening risks.
• Ukraine is leveraging its growing defense tech industry, which has attracted increased foreign investment, as a key component of its economic recovery and innovation in both military and civilian applications.