Robotic Kill zone vs. Manpower Shortage at the Front: How It Works and What It Costs

"There are not as many of us as there are occupiers, so to save our people, we must fight with technology," Volodymyr Valchuk, commander of the "Orion" unit—which fights for the Ukrainian border in the Kupiansk direction—said in an interview with LIGA.net.The "Orion" unit largely overcomes the personnel shortage thanks to a 25-kilometer robotic kill zone. This allows a single Ukrainian drone operator to detect and destroy enemy groups instead of a three-person border patrol that previously had to walk 30–40 km, wearing their feet bloody and remaining under constant threat of shelling, notes "Orion" officer Vladyslav Zolotariov.How is the robotic kill zone structured? What equipment is needed, and how much does it all cost? We explain using the example of "Orion."How and from what "Orion" created the kill zone"Orion," which is a rapid response border commandant’s office of the State Border Guard Service and part of the "Pomsta" (Revenge) Offensive Guard Brigade, worked in the Luhansk region since 2014 and moved to the Kharkiv region in May 2025.As a "gift," the unit received a gray zone approximately 25 km long, which the occupiers used for approaches and buildup, and where space control was fragmented. To deprive the occupier of any chance of movement in this zone, "Orion" created a kill zone there in two months: they cleared it of enemy forces and deployed equipment for control and strikes.Although "Orion" can destroy enemy equipment in this kill zone at a distance of 25 km, for infantry, the "death zone" is only 1 km. "This is because the occupiers use small infantry group tactics: two or three people move across rugged terrain, they have intermediate points with dug-in holes where they take cover, and as a result, they can cover about 20 km—at such a distance, it is quite difficult to detect them. But within one kilometer, they have no chance," Valchuk explains.Equipment used by "Orion" in the kill zone:reconnaissance drones: Mavics, Lelekas;combat drones: Vampires and FPVs (specifically Shrike, Kolibri, F10, F7, Tin);artillery;mortars (mining is also carried out using Vampires).Additionally, this year the unit plans to launch a group of UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) with combat modules into the kill zone."A UGV can be placed in the bushes on standby and used to shoot approaching occupiers directly from there. This will significantly impact the course of combat operations, especially in minimizing personnel losses," says Valchuk.Furthermore, the unit is considering kamikaze UGVs. "They are small, carry explosives, and operate on the same principle as disposable FPV drones: they go one way—for example, into an enemy basement or dugout—and blow up," the commander explains.UGVs can also be placed between one’s own infantry positions: "Since it’s difficult for people to constantly monitor the space 360 degrees, the machines will help significantly."Currently, "Orion" uses UGVs only for logistical purposes, specifically the "Termit" and "Murakha" models. They deliver provisions, water, and ammunition to positions and can also evacuate soldiers. "In principle, combat modules can be mounted on these same UGVs. But we are still searching for the best combat models," says Valchuk.Can combat UGVs alone cover the entire border? The idea is good, but the border cannot be held by technical means alone, Valchuk says: a human presence is required. "For a territory to be considered de-occupied, it is not enough to just bring in UGVs or UAVs—a human foot must step there; otherwise, it will remain a gray zone," he explained.Read alsoLiving artificial intelligence: how FinalSpark makes a computer out of human brain neurons – an interview with the CEOThe price of the kill zoneTo maintain the normal operation of the kill zone, an average of 15–20 million UAH per month is necessary, depending on the situation—this is mainly the cost of drones, says Valchuk."It would be great to have a drone for every 500 meters, but for each of them, we still need to find a crew—that’s more difficult," says Valchuk. A crew consists of three people: a drone operator; a relay operator; and a sapper who attaches the warhead to the drone.How profitable is a robotic kill zone in financial terms? "A serviceman's life costs the government 15 million UAH. A Vampire heavy bomber costs an average of 500,000 UAH. If a Vampire destroys a group of occupiers on the approach to our positions and thus saves even one of our soldiers, the benefit is obvious," Valchuk states.Read alsoInvestments in Ukraine's miltech companies have increased 100-fold in two years: who has raised the mostFirst results"Losses in our sector in killed and wounded are one to three; killed only—1 to 15 in our favor," the "Orion" commander shares the results of six months of the kill zone's operation.He does not disclose real numbers to avoid helping the enemy. "According to our intelligence, some enemy battalion commanders mislead their higher command: they say that five of their infantrymen are at a certain position. But in reality, our servicemen are sitting there. That is, we know we destroyed five of their people, but these people are considered alive by them and are illustrated by images of our soldiers," Valchuk explains.Prisoners are rarely taken in the kill zone because enemy aerial reconnaissance can calculate Ukrainian positions by where the captured occupier is led. It is also disadvantageous because at some positions, our soldiers sit for up to two months without the possibility of rotation, so an occupier nearby is more of a potential problem than a benefit.In addition, in the summer, there was a situation where three Russian soldiers signaled to a Ukrainian drone that they supposedly wanted to surrender, but as soon as they crossed open ground, they scattered in different directions. "But we found them and destroyed them," says Valchuk.The results for destroyed enemy equipment are not as massive as for personnel, because they no longer risk driving into the kill zone in armored vehicles, Valchuk says."Several times the enemy tried to dash in on motorcycles, and we destroyed them either on the way or at the dismounting point when they reached their shelter," says the commander. If the motorcycles remain operational after the attack, "Orion" directs additional drones at them to make them unusable for the enemy."The occupiers now bypass our kill zone. But they continue to haunt us with their KABs (guided aerial bombs) and FPV drones," Valchuk adds."Orion's" plans for 2026 include scaling the unit, increasing the number of crews for all types of drones, and fully launching UGVs with combat modules, says Valchuk. "If an enemy FPV destroys a UGV—it's nothing; they'll provide a new one. Such losses are better than human ones," the commander summarized.

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