Russian soldiers have begun using a robotic stretcher to evacuate their wounded comrades from the frontline.

Footage posted on social media shows an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) delivering supplies to Russian troops and carrying a solider to safety while coming under Ukrainian fire near Avdiivka.

In a separate video, a Russian robot equipped with a grenade launcher is destroyed by a Ukrainian drone in the same region, Kyiv’s 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade posted on Telegram.

“So far, there are isolated cases of Russians using this technique,” the brigade said.

Ukraine has previously used a remote-controlled mechanical stretcher invented by a toy designer to evacuate injured soldiers from the front lines.

Ukraine’s ministry of defence said that the crowd-funded stretcher mounted on small tracks can carry up to 150kg over rough terrain, with its controller able to operate it safely from a distance of 100 metres.