Ukraine is preparing to fight Putin - with a robot army.<br /><br />The beleaguered country is crowdfunding for bots to fight the Russians, who invaded in February 2022.<br /><br />The first fundraiser towards terrestrial robotic platforms was announced at the recent UNITED24 anniversary summit by President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.<br /><br />As well as robots to carry supplies and wounded soldiers, there will also be squadrons of kamikaze bots sent to take out enemy troops and vehicles.<br /><br />UNITED24, Ukraine's official fundraising platform, say: "Squads of robots will save the lives of our military and civilians. They will become logistics devices, tow trucks, minelayers and deminers, as well as self-destructive robots. They will fight alongside people and for people.<br /><br />"The first robots are already proving their effectiveness on the battlefield, but there are many more required."<br /><br />The funds will be raised for several types of ground robotic systems: combat; self-destructive robots and minelayers; and logistical robots.<br /><br />Combat robots designed for remote combat missions, such as the assault or defense of positions, surveillance and reconnaissance, can be operated up to four kilometres away.<br /><br />These systems are equipped with PKT and PKM machine guns of 7.62mm caliber, as well as NSVT and M2 Browning machine guns of 12.7mm caliber, and can hit targets at a distance of up to 2 kilometres. <br /><br />"Some of them are protected against small arms fire, and are equipped with thermographic cameras for nighttime combat," say UNITED24.<br /><br />The self-destructive robots can carry two anti-tank mines or up to 40 kg of payload, and move towards the target at a speed of up to 25 km/h.Operators are safely up to 5.5 km away.<br /><br />Logistics robots can transport up to 600 kg of cargo and have a range of up to 40 km.<br /><br />Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the robot fundraising drive at the recent the Power of Unity summit in Kyiv, as well as revealing that two-time Oscar winner, Hilary Swank, and star of Charmed, Alyssa Milano, have joined UNITED24 as ambassadors.<br /><br />The actors will be focusing their efforts on supporting the Education, Science and Medical Aid directions of Ukraine’s official fundraising platform. <br /><br />President Zelenskyy said: "Today I am pleased to announce news about the development of UNITED24. The first one is that new ambassadors are joining. And our second news is that a global fundraising campaign for combat robotic platforms is starting.<br /><br />"Our Ukrainian “Army of Drones” and our naval drone technology have already proven their effectiveness in protecting Ukraine from Russian terror."
