2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ratel S in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine fielded Ratel S as a small remotely operated ground robot for explosive delivery, remote mining, and attacks on Russian positions and logistics targets.

Weapon profileRatel S
SideUkraineRoleInterdictionArea DenialAnti-Armor
Ratel S, Uncrewed ground vehicle / remote-mining and explosive-delivery robot, Support Equipment - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: Ratel S Product Page

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukrainian forces fielded Ratel S as a mobile explosive or mine-carrying ground robot in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources: ArmyInform Ground Kamikaze Robot, Defense Express Ratel S Specifications

Ratel S was reported used to destroy a bridge at Ivanivske, Donetsk Oblast, in April 2024.

Sources: ArmyInform Ratel S Bridge Strike, LIGA.net Ratel S Bridge Strike

The 25th Airborne Brigade was reported using Ratel S against an underground passage near Novohrodivka in September 2024.

Sources: UNN Ratel S Novohrodivka Tunnel Strike

The current manufacturer product description identifies Ratel S as a remote-mining ground system with a remote-mining module and stated payload, control-range, endurance, and camera features.

Sources: Ratel S Product Page

Timeline

Ratel S In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. Serial production and field-use claims reported

    ArmyInform cited Mykhailo Fedorov saying Ratel S was used by soldiers as a mobile warhead and had passed field tests before entering serial production.

    Sources: ArmyInform Ground Kamikaze Robot, Defense Express Ratel S Specifications

  2. Bridge strike at Ivanivske reported

    ArmyInform and LIGA.net reported that Ukrainian defenders used Ratel S to destroy a bridge in Ivanivske, Donetsk Oblast, disrupting Russian logistics.

    Sources: ArmyInform Ratel S Bridge Strike, LIGA.net Ratel S Bridge Strike

  3. Novohrodivka tunnel strike reported

    UNN reported that soldiers of the 25th Airborne Brigade used Ratel S against an underground passage near Novohrodivka in the Pokrovsk sector.

    Sources: UNN Ratel S Novohrodivka Tunnel Strike

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Ratel S entered the public record as a Ukrainian ground robot for the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War in October 2023, when Ukrainian military media cited Mykhailo Fedorov saying soldiers used it as a mobile warhead carrying anti-tank mines or a combat module. Defense Express reported the same fielding context and said the system had passed state tests and entered mass production.

Later reporting tied the system to specific battlefield incidents. LIGA.net and ArmyInform reported that Ukrainian defenders used Ratel S to blow up a bridge at Ivanivske in Donetsk Oblast in April 2024, while UNN reported that soldiers of the 25th Airborne Brigade used a Ratel S platform against an underground passage near Novohrodivka in September 2024.

Sources: ArmyInform Ground Kamikaze Robot, Defense Express Ratel S Specifications, ArmyInform Ratel S Bridge Strike, LIGA.net Ratel S Bridge Strike, UNN Ratel S Novohrodivka Tunnel Strike

Timeline

The first dated milestone is 24 October 2023, when Ukrainian reporting described Ratel S as a Brave1-linked ground robot already used by soldiers and launched into serial production after field tests.

On 2 April 2024, Ukrainian and English-language reporting said Ratel S was used to destroy a bridge in Ivanivske, Donetsk Oblast, in order to complicate Russian logistics. On 26 September 2024, UNN reported a separate Pokrovsk-sector incident near Novohrodivka involving the 25th Airborne Brigade.

Sources: ArmyInform Ground Kamikaze Robot, ArmyInform Ratel S Bridge Strike, LIGA.net Ratel S Bridge Strike, UNN Ratel S Novohrodivka Tunnel Strike

Narrative

Ratel S appears in the war as part of Ukraine's rapid wartime expansion of remotely operated ground systems. The public descriptions emphasize a compact ground platform that can move an explosive payload or anti-tank mines toward a target while its operator remains at standoff distance.

Its documented tasks are narrower than general reconnaissance or logistics UGV use. The cited incidents describe attack and denial roles: carrying explosive payloads, threatening tanks or dugouts, attacking a bridge used for Russian logistics, and striking a covered Russian position near Novohrodivka. The manufacturer describes the current product as a remote-mining system, which is consistent with the reported mine-delivery role but does not by itself prove battlefield use.

The public record remains Ukrainian-source heavy. The strongest direct battlefield evidence for this page is the cluster of Ukrainian military, government-linked, and Ukrainian news reports that name Ratel S and connect it to specific front-line uses in Donetsk Oblast.

Sources: Ratel S Product Page, Defense Express Ratel S Specifications, ArmyInform Ratel S Bridge Strike, LIGA.net Ratel S Bridge Strike, UNN Ratel S Novohrodivka Tunnel Strike

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Sources