Ukraine is using ground robots to evacuate the wounded, and some have cages or armor to protect the soldiers. 1st Separate Medical Battalion A ground robot evacuating a wounded Ukrainian soldier was attacked by a Russian drone. His battalion said the robot was damaged, but the soldier was protected and had no new injuries. Robots are increasingly used by Ukraine but are also targets and can put hurt troops in more danger. New video footage from Russia's war against Ukraine shows a ground robot transporting an injured Ukrainian soldier being hit by a Russian drone. Using ground robots to rescue soldiers is just one way Ukraine is putting its growing fleet to work. The uncrewed vehicles also move supplies, lay and remove mines, and attack Russian targets. Employing bots for battlefield casualty evacuation helps keep medical crews out of harm's way, but it can also leave an injured soldier exposed and vulnerable to attack. Ukraine's 1st Separate Medical Battalion shared the footage on Monday, revealing that the soldier was safely evacuated. The rescue robot took the hit and protected him. The soldier didn't sustain any additional injuries during the 3-hour and 25-minute mission. The soldier had been injured by a drone drop and was unable to walk by himself. Reaching him meant navigating territory with a significant Russian presence, and the planned return journey was 36 miles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Перший окремий медичний батальйон (@1med.army) They decided to send a robot controlled from afar by soldiers in safer positions, the battalion said. Ukraine uses robots to carry out missions too hazardous for humans. The robot detected a Russian drone soon after the injured soldier was loaded on, the battalion said. The team decided to continue moving at maximum speed, but the drone hit the robot on its second attempt, two and a half miles into the journey. The soldier did not suffer any new injuries from the attack, as he was contained in the robot's armored capsule. The robot, however, was damaged, the battalion said. He was evacuated by another Ukrainian unit nearby and got the treatment he needed, it said. The robot was also recovered. Business Insider was unable to independently verify the details reported by the battalion. The video shows a ground robot moving through a rural area at night, stopping as soldiers load an injured comrade aboard and close a protective lid. The robot then drives on, before aerial footage appears to show an explosion above it. The video then shows the wounded soldier speaking after the mission, along with footage of the damaged robot. The battalion said his treatment is continuing. The robots Ukraine is using for evacuations range in sophistication and price. Mykhaylo Palinchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images A host of companies are developing Ukraine's robot fleet, and innovation is rapid, with soldiers even updating them on the battlefield. However, they are risky, particularly if they lack cages like the one in this attack. Robots are targets for Russia's swarms of ever-present drones. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, previously told Business Insider that using robots can sometimes put the soldier at greater risk, as it takes them from where they may have been able to hide or be with comrades out into the open. They use humans for evacuations where possible, though that isn't without risks, and robots as a last resort. Ground robots conduct less than 1% of Ukraine's drone missions; however, their use is growing. And the West is testing and prototyping uncrewed vehicle designs relying on what Ukraine is learning. Read the original article on Business Insider