Ukrainian defense firm tests mounted grenade launcher on Milrem unmanned robot
Ukrainian defense industry company Frontline tested an automatic grenade launcher mounted on an unmanned all-terrain vehicle created by Milrem Robotics, a company with Estonian roots.
For the tests, Frontline's Burya 40 mm (1.6 inches) automatic grenade launcher turret was mounted on Milrem's THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle platform.
Live fire tests conducted in Ukraine demonstrated that the system was effective at a distance of 1,100 meters, Milrem said in a press release on Tuesday. Operators observed the tests from a safe distance
Tests will continue in the coming week across a range of battlefield scenarios.
The partnership reflects growing cooperation between Ukrainian and European defense manufacturers, the Kyiv Independent wrote.
Ukrainian firms are providing battlefield experience and Western companies are contributing advanced technology development. Estonian company Frankenburg Technologies also plans to test its missiles in Ukraine.
Milrem Robotics Director of Industrial Partnerships Paul Clayton said the test "highlights the expanding role of robotic platforms in improving tactical effectiveness and operator safety on the modern battlefield."
Frontline CEO Yevhen Tretiak said the company believes the future of modern warfare belongs to robotic systems.
"BURIA is part of our vision for a robotic frontline — where drones perform defensive and offensive operations while soldiers remain out of harm's way. Together, we're fast-tracking these technologies to the frontlines," he said.
THeMIS was the first unmanned ground vehicle in its class to be deployed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The BURIA RWS grenade launcher has been used by military units since January 2025 and is now in mass production.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Helen Wright
