Military correspondent Aleksandr Kharchenko says Russian forces in one clash near Krasnoarmeysk used only unmanned systems, with no servicemen present on the front line and all actions carried out remotely.

He said the engagement involved ground-based robotic platforms moving across the battlefield while aerial UAVs conducted reconnaissance overhead. Once targets were identified, they were struck by kamikaze drones.

In Kharchenko’s view, this marked the beginning of an era of unmanned warfare, in which combat can be conducted without direct human presence on the battlefield. He believes that within a few years this format could become standard practice and that, sooner or later, armies may reach a point where a soldier is no longer needed on the front line.

Earlier, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said at the ministry’s final board meeting that the formation of unmanned systems troops is expected to be completed in 2026. He stressed the need to move away from isolated missions carried out by scattered groups and toward coordinated, integrated operations within full-fledged units and military formations.