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Yuri Zoria


First battlefield capitulation to robots: Ukrainian drone unit takes positions and prisoners with zero troops (video)

The 3rd Assault Brigade seized fortified Russian positions using kamikaze land drones and quadcopters.
Ukrainian fully robotic engagement and the Russian soldiers surrendering to robots in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
Ukrainian fully robotic engagement and the Russian soldiers surrendering to robots in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
First battlefield capitulation to robots: Ukrainian drone unit takes positions and prisoners with zero troops (video)

A Ukrainian drone unit has taken Russian prisoners-of-war in Kharkiv Oblast without a single shot, in what the 3rd Assault Brigade calls the first-ever battlefield capitulation to robotic platforms. The Russian position was taken without combat engagement of Ukrainian soldiers on the ground – the infantry just took the empty position after the Russians surrendered.

The use of FPV drones and ground-based kamikaze robots has become increasingly common on the front lines of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. But this operation stands out as a first: a fortified position in a treeline previously unreachable by infantry was seized without gunfire, and enemy soldiers were taken alive through drone-only engagement.

Ukrainian drone unit takes POWs in first battlefield capitulation to robots

On 9 July, Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade announced that its drone and ground robot operators forced Russian troops to surrender in Kharkiv Oblast — without any infantry engagement or Ukrainian losses.

The brigade said it was the first confirmed case in modern warfare where only unmanned systems captured enemy positions and prisoners.

According to the Brigade, the robotic strike involved both an FPV drone and a kamikaze ground drone carrying three antitank mines — a total of 21-22.5 kg of TNT. The FPV and the first ground drone’s blast hit a dugout entrance in the Russian position. As another land robot moved in for a second strike, two surviving Russian soldiers waved a cardboard sign reading “We want to surrender” in Russian.

The explosion with the three antitank mines — that was a very powerful blast. The dugout wasn’t fully destroyed, so we got the order to hit it again. We moved in, and they realized we were going to blow it up again. […] ..and they very quickly put the sign out,” one of the Ukrainian soldiers said.

first battlefield capitulation robots ukrainian drone unit takes positions prisoners zero troops operators 3rd assault brigade describe surrender unmanned systems during recorded interview has taken russian prisoners-of-war kharkiv oblast without
Ukrainian drone operators from the 3rd Assault Brigade describe the first battlefield surrender to unmanned systems during a recorded interview. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

Drone footage shows moment of surrender and remote-led capture

The 3rd Assault Brigade’s Telegram post includes a video file timestamped 8 July, featuring aerial footage of the engagement and the enemy’s surrender, as well as a recorded interview with the Ukrainian drone operators recounting the operation. However, the exact date of the robotic engagement itself is not explicitly stated.

first battlefield capitulation robots ukrainian drone unit takes positions prisoners zero troops ground kamikaze advances toward russian-held during drone-led assault kharkiv oblast reushes treeline has taken russian prisoners-of-war without single
A Ukrainian ground kamikaze drone advances toward Russian-held positions during the drone-led assault in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

The video shows an aerial FPV drone strike, a powerful explosion of an “NRK”—a remotely controlled “ground robotic complex”—at the entrance to the dugout, and the Russian soldiers displaying the sign.

first battlefield capitulation robots ukrainian drone unit takes positions prisoners zero troops massive explosion erupts kamikaze land detonates entrance russian fortification dugout has taken prisoners-of-war kharkiv oblast without single shot
A massive explosion erupts as a Ukrainian kamikaze land drone detonates at the entrance to a Russian fortification. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

As recounted by the NC13 unit of the DEUS EX MACHINA drone company, a small reconnaissance UAV was used to guide the surrendering soldiers safely to Ukrainian lines.

“Then the major flew down the Mavic (a Chinese drone, widely used for reconnaissance by both sides, – Ed.), we showed them with the drone — like, come here. [..] They followed the Mavic precisely and lay down in the ‘dolphin pose’ on the ground,” the military said.

first battlefield capitulation robots ukrainian drone unit takes positions prisoners zero troops russian soldier holds up handwritten sign reading “we want surrender” seen uav above dugout russians displaying surrender has
A Russian soldier holds up a handwritten sign reading “We want to surrender” in Russian, seen from a Ukrainian UAV above the dugout. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

After the surrender, infantry forces quickly secured the position. The brigade noted that previous Ukrainian attempts to storm the area had failed. This time, however, the assault team held back while drones led the operation.

first battlefield capitulation robots ukrainian drone unit takes positions prisoners zero troops surrendering russian soldiers lie ground after following drone’s instructions reach designated point russians dolphin pose has taken prisoners-of-war
Surrendering Russian soldiers lie on the ground after following a Ukrainian drone’s instructions to reach the designated point. Source: 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

Robot tactics secure trench in 15 minutes without losses

Once the Russian troops were taken prisoner, the planned infantry clearing operation began — but was largely symbolic. The drone operator noted in the interview:

“A clearing operation was planned there — we were supposed to carry out the strike, and they were supposed to clear the area. But it turned out that… that unit took over the dugout’s treeline in just 15 minutes. The entire strip was already ours — literally, and without any losses. You could say, not a single shot was fired.”

According to him, the fully drone-led engagement showed that the use of robotic platforms “makes operations significantly easier” and, in some cases, “even frees the infantry from the task entirely”

Our example proved that with robotic platforms, it’s possible not only to storm positions but also to take prisoners,” another drone operator emphasized.

The attack, executed entirely by the NC13 ground drone unit from the 2nd Assault Battalion, marks the first publicly confirmed battlefield victory achieved by unmanned platforms alone — including the capture of enemy personnel.