Robots replace soldiers as Russia scrambles to copy Ukrainian tactics

Control over Vovchansk has become less about territorial lines and more about which side can survive sustained exposure in a drone-transparent battlefield. Russian commanders are under pressure to show progress near Kharkiv, even as traditional assault methods produce rapidly escalating losses. At the same time, Ukraine’s increasing substitution of manpower with unmanned systems is reshaping what offensive and defensive viability look like in this sector. This creates a dilemma for Russian forces: persist with human-heavy infiltration tactics or attempt to imitate systems they lack the industrial depth and operational culture to field effectively. Vovchansk is where this tension is now being tested in real time. The outcome matters not because of the town itself, but because it reveals whether adaptation under pressure can happen fast enough to offset structural disadvantages.

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