Russian troops have begun using quadcopters and ground-based robotic systems to protect military convoys operating in the zone of the special military operation.

As the vehicles move along the route, two quadcopters accompany the колонна from the air. Their operators monitor the roadside and the surface of the road, searching for suspicious objects or potential explosive devices. If anything unusual is spotted, the convoy halts while specialists assess the situation.

A ground robotic platform equipped with a manipulator arm is then sent to inspect the object. If the device appears to be a mine or an improvised explosive charge, the drone can place a small demolition charge directly on it. The charge is subsequently detonated, eliminating the threat without forcing the convoy to remain stationary for long.

Valery Yuryev, chairman of the Union of Russian Paratroopers and a colonel, explained in a conversation with Izvestia that this approach is considered more effective than moving without protection or relying solely on саперы traveling on foot alongside the vehicles. According to him, opposing forces often deploy non-removable explosive devices that are extremely difficult to disarm, and the use of ground robotic systems allows them to be destroyed without putting саперы at risk.

Military analyst Alexey Leonkov, commenting on the use of drones to escort convoys, described the practice as a logical step in the evolution of convoy protection systems. He also suggested that in the future a significant share of military vehicles could be equipped with similar unmanned systems as standard equipment.