Ukraine’s fortification tech: ground drone engineering

BLUF: Russian forces have taken advantage of weak Ukrainian defense structures to unleash offensives, thanks largely to a fortification building process in Ukraine that has been hampered by a lack of centralized control and corruption. But innovative new technologies like ground drones can help Ukraine up its fortification game to counter Russian offenses.

MPs registered a draft law that would allow the export of defense technologies to foreign countries. 

The First Separate Medical Battalion has developed the Maul unmanned ground vehicle for medical evacuation. The Radioelectronic Alliance of Ukraine, which aims to lobby for the interests of electronic warfare manufacturers, held its founding assembly. And FENEK is developing a new sound detection system for acoustic reconnaissance.

THE BIG STORY: How drones are used to build Ukrainian fortifications 

Russia’s recent movements on the battlefield have exposed an urgent problem for the Ukrainian military: weak fortifications.

This was put on stark display in some areas on the Sumy front, where Russian forces made advances near villages left vulnerable by a complete lack of fortifications.

Can innovative new tech be used to fill in the gaps?

There’s certainly plenty to work with. Ukrainian fortifications consist of an elaborate set of defensive structures—anti-tank ditches, underground communications, trenches, mining, barrier lines, and razor wire. Anti-drone nets are often also installed on logistics routes (read our publication on net tunnels to protect logistics from drones here).

Previously, fortifications were built based on battalion defense areas and company strong points, with miles of lines. 

Now, however, Ukraine is building smaller strongholds with 60-70 meter-long passageways and anti-drone protections, said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. These are harder to detect and better at defense. 

Challenges for Ukrainian fortifications

There are four main issues:

• Lack of engineers;

• Ecological restrictions that complicate the fortification process;

• Ineffective coordination between the military and civilian branches; 

• Corruption: Several criminal cases have been opened over the embezzlement of fortification funds.

New drone technology clearly can’t solve all those problems, but it can improve efficiency and safety to enable more – and better – construction. 

One ground drone is capable of carrying up to 1,500 kg, enough for plenty of equipment that can be used in the fortification process. 

To build a fortification, the Ukrainian military uses specialized Soviet-era vehicles, including the MDK-3, a trench-digging machine, and the road paver BAT-2. Additionally, Western partners have supplied Ukraine with engineering vehicles, with approximately 500 vehicles sent so far. Germany, for instance, has sent several Dachs, an engineering vehicle with an excavator arm and a dozer blade based on the Leopard 2 chassis. 

Russians have been known to attack builders with FPV drones or even Lancet kamikaze drones. That’s why during 2024, some fortifications could not be completed, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration.

To protect engineering vehicles from strikes, some excavators are now equipped with anti-drone cages.

Ground drones can be especially useful close to the front line, where preserving human lives is more important than keeping drones intact. 

The Ratel S UGV has been used by the military to transport timber for the construction of fortifications near the front line. The drone can pull over 1,500 kg on a trailer. 

Lynx and Lynx PRO ground drones by Roboneers are also used to build fortifications, a representative of the company said.

The 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade uses ground drones to install barbed wire meant to hinder the movement of enemy equipment and infantry. 

The drone transports and stretches the wire using a special structure, and then wire tensioning is monitored from the air using a Mavic aerial drone.

A remotely controlled, radio-operated excavator is among the products created by Ukrainian manufacturer Minidiger. Due to a lack of funding, however, the project has not progressed beyond testing, said Volodymyr, the director and developer, who asked to withhold his surname for security reasons. 

The company now supplies piloted versions of excavators to the military, since they didn’t show an interest in radio-operated excavators, he said. 

Fortifications are still largely done by hand, given the high cost of land drones and the relatively low cost of labor, especially in cities further away from the front lines.

One UGV can cost $20,000-$30,000, which is comparable to the cost of renting a larger excavator that would build fortifications more quickly, Ostapchuk said.

How Ukrainian and Russian fortifications differ

In the initial years of independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s engineering troops were reduced by a factor of ten—from 30,000 personnel to 3,000 in 2014. They have now become a component of the Support Forces. 

Unlike the Ukrainian military, Russia’s military has engineering troops with more equipment for creating fortifications. The Russians also got a headstart on building fortifications on the temporarily occupied territories.

In 2022, for instance, they built the ‘Surovikin Line’ in southern Ukraine, consisting of mines, trenches, and dragon's teeth that held back the advance of Ukrainian forces in 2023. 

Russians are also utilizing Soviet-era engineering vehicles for mining. Zemledeliye, a Russian mine-laying system, is similar to a multiple launch rocket system, but instead launches 50 mines of 122 mm caliber. In just a few minutes, it can create a minefield comparable to the size of several football fields.

The Russian military has also been using prisoners to build fortifications.

BUSINESS LUNCH TOPICS: What our reporting shows!

1. Progress on defense tech’s export reform process

MPs registered a draft law to launch a new Build with Ukraine program. It aims to enable weaponry exports by exporting technologies to and building facilities with allied countries in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (aka the Ramstein Group). The law is expected to take effect by September, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated. 

The bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada under number № 13420. The main provisions of the draft law are as follows:

1. An interagency international agreement will be concluded, with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and a foreign state as parties. The agreement includes a list of enterprises that intend to export military technologies, which the MoD will maintain.

2. A permit from the State Service for Export Control will be available to obtain through a simplified procedure in 14 days, subject to the payment of a licensing fee. 

3. The procedure for licensing the export of controlled goods will be developed by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

4. The technologies are transferred to a foreign company that is 100 percent owned by the Ukrainian exporter. 

Ukraine already has agreements in place to launch the production of defense technologies abroad, Umerov added. There are currently up to 10 projects, including in Denmark, Great Britain, and Norway. In particular, Ukraine is on track to set up a drone-making factory in Denmark within the next few months. 

However, the State Service for Export Control (SSEC) hasn't issued any permits for technology transfer so far under the new program, Oleh Tsilvik, acting head of the SSEC, told Counteroffensive.Pro.

A date has not yet been set for a vote on the Build with Ukraine bill, though we will provide updates as they come.

2. Main goals of the Radioelectronic Alliance of Ukraine

A union of 13 EW manufacturers called the Radioelectronic Alliance of Ukraine held its first founding assembly in late June.

There are now over 300 manufacturers of various levels in Ukraine, compared to only 12 at the beginning of the full-scale war. The goals of the alliance include:

• securing changes in regulation, for e.g. to sell to civilians;

• creating a joint R&D center for developing new products;

• opening the export of EW and radioelectronic reconnaissance products;

• increasing the number of government orders to boost production;

• standardizing products to avoid a quagmire of different devices in the military.

For small manufacturers, participation in the alliance will also enable them to find Ukrainian alternatives to Chinese components, as well as meet MoD requirements for EW and other needs.

Currently, it is free to join the alliance, Oleksii Chernyak, director of the Radioelectronic Alliance of Ukraine, told Counteroffensive.Pro. The alliance will develop a plan of action and a vision for sector development by the end of July.

3. First ground drone designed for medical evacuation purposes

The First Separate Medical Battalion has created a ground drone for medical evacuation called Maul. It addresses key problems with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) – specifically, speed and the protection of the wounded on board. 

The speed was increased by using a gasoline engine, which allows for acceleration up to 65 km/h. This is a significantly higher speed than that of the drone’s electric counterparts, which could typically go from between 8 and 14 km/h.

A lightly armored superstructure designed to protect against fragments provides a shield for the wounded on board. Inside, the wounded service member is secured with straps. The protective capsule is designed for soldiers up to approximately 6 feet and 6 inches tall (more than 2 meters).

"This is not exactly a story about comfort; this is a story about a chance for rescue. Maul is a last hope solution when there are no other options," said one of the representatives of the battalion. Due to security reasons, he requested that his name not be withheld. 

The main emphasis in designing the drone was on ensuring the platform doesn't tip over when it hits an obstacle. It hasn’t been tested specifically for evacuation yet, only for logistics. 

The military is using ground drones more and more for medical evacuation. Read more about this in our previous publication. 

4. How acoustic detection systems work on the battlefield

The Ukrainian firm Octava Defence has developed the FENEK AIR acoustic detection system. It is currently used for acoustic monitoring, acoustic direction finding, and airborne acoustic reconnaissance of the environment. This enables timely responses to airborne threats and enhances situational awareness for soldiers.

FENEK AIR can recognize acoustic signatures of various types of airborne and ground objects, including both types of drones, representatives of the development team explained. 

The system is based on a network of sensors that capture sounds, convert them into digital signals, analyze these signals, and then determine the coordinates, height, direction, and speed of targets.

It adapts to weather and noise conditions, and transmits data in real-time to the user's electronic map. The system is also autonomous: It has its own power supply, computing module, and telecommunications equipment, and it does not rely on external data sources.

Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces are already using the system to detect aerial threats, including fiber-optic drones, which are very difficult to detect. The main component of the system, the FENEK acoustic detection device, has also received a NATO stock number.

In the future, the company plans to enhance the mobility of the sensors by installing them on vehicles and allowing them to operate in motion. This is a difficult task, considering the noise of the vehicle's engine. Additionally, they plan to integrate the system with combat modules that are capable of making independent decisions on target destruction.

Read about other acoustic sensor developers in our previous issue.

Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

By: Oksana Zabolotna

Improvement of the Security Service of Ukraine’s activities

Draft Law № 13353 dated 09.06.2025

Why it’s important:

These changes significantly expand the number of personnel, tools and capabilities of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), granting it access to modern unmanned systems, EW equipment, and technical surveillance countermeasures.

This transforms the function of SBU's Center for Special Operations “A” from 'counter-terrorism' and protection to 'operational-combat activities and special measures.'

Proposals:

• The SBU is granted the right to use robotic and other unmanned systems, as well as means and devices for detecting and countering vehicles and vessels, electronic warfare equipment, and active counterintelligence measures against technical surveillance. 

• SBU military personnel, during the repulsion of armed aggression, or state defense measures, are authorized to use weapons and military equipment under the same procedures and circumstances as the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• Increase the total personnel of the SBU to up to 41,000, including 10,000 for the Center for Special Operations “A.”

Link to Defense Tech:

The SBU has experience in collaborating with developers/manufacturers of cutting-edge weaponry, ensuring high-quality feedback on use in combat. This will help minimize the time needed to identify and eliminate shortcomings.

Stage: Submitted for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence.

Initiator: A group of 101 Members of Parliament of Ukraine from the factions ‘Holos’ (Voice), ‘Servant of the People,’ ‘European Solidarity,’ ‘Batkivshchyna,’ and the ‘Dovira’ (Trust) group, led by Roman Kostenko.

What’s next: Awaiting the committee’s review of the draft law.

ON THE MOVE: Professional movement, promotions and industry news.

Know someone in the defense tech space who has made a professional move? Drop us a line at [email protected]! 

• Faustine van den Bosch has joined Helsing, an AI-drone developer, as part of the Forward Strategy team. Previously, she worked at Vertice, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform.

• Dmytro Hryshchak resigned from the Ministry of Strategic Industries, where he was responsible for digital development, transformations, and digitalization. Hryshchak will remain in the defense sphere.

• Valentin Haidai began working at Stark, a drone developer, as a senior development engineer.

30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH:

MOTH is a second-generation kamikaze fixed-wing type drone for attacks near and behind the enemy lines. It has an 80 km combat range and a 3 kg warhead. MOTH can perform autonomous missions in radio silence, and a new mission can be prepared in a minute due to QQRUDZA software integration.

“We utilized our experience in striking UAVs and developed MOTH, [with] both an FPV version for full control and an autonomous one for maximum efficiency during the missions,” said Oleksandr, the company’s CEO.

The company has opened an investment round of $1 million to fund the setup and launch of serial production.

MUST READS:

• The Ukrainian government has approved the expansion of the DOT-Chain digital platform to the arms procurement sector. This will enable the military to independently order all necessary drones for combat missions.

• Ukraine presented its initiatives for the production of drones, ammunition, and missiles to EU defense policy directors at a meeting of the Defense Readiness Task Force in Brussels. The purpose was to help secure funding for defense production from EU countries through the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) project.

• The Dutch MoD will finance the production of 20 of Rheinmetall's Ermine vehicles for Ukraine. They are designed to evacuate the wounded near the front line. Ukraine will be the first user of Ermine in the world, with deliveries scheduled for 2026.

• Ukraine’s Katran marine drone has been equipped with weapons that allow it to destroy targets at a distance of up to 100 km. It can travel up to 3,000 km and stay on the water for up to six days. It uses artificial intelligence-based systems for high-precision attacks.

• The Norwegian government will allocate nearly $640 million to purchase drones from Ukrainian and European manufacturers for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. 

• Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has codified the PROTECTOR unmanned ground vehicle, which has a range of up to 400 km and a payload of up to 700 kg. It’s the size of a full-size car, with four-wheel drive and a fuel engine.Share the newsletter

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