Bots on the battlefield

A Ukrainian serviceman unloading an unmanned ground vehicle at an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine. The proliferation of cheap but deadly drones deployed by Russian and Ukrainian forces has irreversibly changed how the war is being waged – forcing medics to find new ways to retrieve wounded to field hospitals for treatment, including by robot. — AFP

WHEN Magician, a Ukrainian serviceman, was remotely steering a robot hauling a wounded soldier away from the front line towards safety, the worst-case scenario played out on his monitor.

The 27-year-old, who asked to be identified by his call sign in line with military protocol, was navigating the bot on a ­journey with life-or-death stakes when grey smoke appeared on his control screen.