Robots are fighting wars and helping to quash riots — China is arming riot police with squads of AI controlled drones and Ukraine wants to man the frontlines with 25,000 robots

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Robots are replacing humans on the frontlines

Ground military drone for cargo transportation
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
  • China and Ukraine are testing new robotic capabilities
  • Robots are being deployed to the frontlines of the war with Russia
  • Protests in China could soon be policed using squads of robots and drones

Robots can’t surrender, don’t suffer issues with morale, and won’t refuse an order. That’s why militaries and law enforcement see them as the future.

Ukraine has already employed robots in multiple roles across its armed forces - from seaborne and airborne drones, to CASEVAC and logistics vehicles - and now wants to deploy 25,000 more in frontline positions.

China is also flirting with the idea of kitting out its armed police and riot units with squads entirely made of robots, controlled by a central AI, with remote human input only to prevent the bots from being too heavy handed.

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Ukraine to deploy 25,000 ground robots

In order to supplement its existing capabilities, the Ukraine Ministry of Defense has announced that it will seek to deploy an additional 25,000 robots in the first half of 2026. “Our goal — 100% of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” said Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s industry for robots and drones has exploded with over 280 companies now actively producing systems and solutions to help the war effort.

Ukraine has already claimed to have taken a trench system using a team made entirely of robots, in what could be a first of its kind engagement. There are also novel deployments of drones and robots with mounted weapons, including machine guns and rocket launchers.

The government is also setting up a center to help the Armed Forces, General Staff, and robotics manufacturers cooperate, ensuring smooth manufacturing and deployment.

China testing riot robots

The People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) theorized a scenario where it a protest is quelled in an urban environment using a riot squad made entirely of robots.

The squad, made up of reconnaissance drones, armored vehicles, and robot dogs would isolate and detain instigators, removing the protest’s organizational backbone. The rest of the protest, cut off from the internet and lacking leadership, would then disperse on its own.

Aerial drones would use pattern recognition to identify agitators, before ‘kettling’ the protest with robotic barriers. Arrests are then made, using nets and tasers to neutralize threats.

The system would require very little human input, instead using AI as its center of command. Arrests would remain a human decision, albeit a remote one.

The scenario, set in “New City”, bears a striking resemblance to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, which China has claimed to be an inalienable part of the mainland since the Kuomintang-led Republic of China government lost the Chinese civil war and fled to the island nation.

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.

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