Dorozvidka #42: Leleka and Bulava, Ukrainian engines for UGVs, DevDroid, TAF Industries, and R&D of the Third Assault

In its weekly Dorozvidka, Defender Media curates noteworthy publications from Ukrainian and international outlets — primarily long reads and videos aimed at broadening perspectives.

In the 42nd edition you will find:

• An interview with the Head of Software Development at DEVIRO on the manufacturer’s most reсent innovations;
• An in-depth video report on DevDroid and an operation by the 5th Assault Brigade to destroy an enemy MT-LB using a strike UGV;
• An interview with the Head of R&D of the Third Army Corps, callsign “Dolyna”;
• Interesting updates from Ratel and an article by Forbes on artificial intelligence on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Leleka-100 versus interceptor drones, Bulava, and DEVIRO production in Czechia

The latest episode of the ZBROYA video project, featuring Militarnyi and the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, showcases Illia Kovalchuk, Head of Software Development at DEVIRO. He spoke about the top modification of the Ukrainian Leleka-100 reconnaissance UAV, the emergence of an onboard protection system against interceptor drones, the use of the Bulava loitering munition, and how it compares favourably to Russia’s Lancet, as well as DEVIRO’s drone production in Czechia.

The interceptor-avoidance system installed on the Leleka-100 reconnaissance drone is called Snitch. According to Kovalchuk, it is already being used on a limited number of Leleka platforms and has demonstrated fairly effective results against Russian interceptor drones. The system consists of an additional camera that detects enemy interceptor drones and automatically issues an evasive manoeuvre command.

The company acknowledges that this configuration is not optimal, as it leaves blind spots through which an enemy drone can approach unnoticed and strike the reconnaissance platform. An improved version of the system is currently under development and is expected to replace the existing one in the future.

“A drone is the new rifle.” Interview with TAF Industries founder Oleksandr Yakovenko

TAF Industries founder Oleksandr Yakovenko gave an interview to the Dutch outlet NRC, touching on issues relevant to every country — the economics of war, rethinking air defence, and flexibility under pressure.

A Ukrainian-language summary of the key points of the interview is available via the link.

“Dolyna” on how R&D works in the Third Army Corps

Within the Third Army Corps, R&D has grown from field-level FPV workshops into a standalone direction that works directly with combat units. The team tests solutions designed to operate under electronic warfare conditions, develops relay drones and kamikaze aircraft, and deploys them not on paper, but directly in combat positions.

Dev.ua spoke with the Head of R&D of the Third Army Corps, callsign “Dolyna”, about how the team is formed, why bureaucracy slows down warfare, and which technologies will define the coming years.

Forbes US on autonomy on the battlefield in Ukraine

Forbes reports that Ukraine is deploying AI-enabled attack drones at scale, and that they are destroying Russian forces with exceptional effectiveness.

In the commercial world, AI has repeatedly gone through so-called “AI winters” — periods when the technology failed to meet expectations, resulting in sidelining and underinvestment. The same happened with AI-assisted drones after a false start in 2024, when manufacturers made numerous promises but failed to deliver. Now, however, Ukraine is ramping up mass production of a new generation of automated attack drones, bringing a fundamentally new level of destructive power with minimal human supervision.

The article mentions developments by The Fourth Law, Vyriy, and Auterion.

Ratel tests Ukrainian-made engines for UGVs

Ukrainian developer and manufacturer of ground robotic systems Ratel has begun testing UGV engines produced in Ukraine. This was announced on Facebook by the company’s founder, Taras Ostapchuk. “Controllers are next in line,” the entrepreneur added.

In a comment to Oboronka, he clarified that the robot engine was developed by one of Ukraine’s enterprises. It may soon be installed on serial platforms.

According to Ostapchuk, Ratel is currently developing its own engine, which is planned to enter testing in two months’ time. The company also plans to develop a proprietary controller for it.

In-depth video report on DevDroid

Militarnyi has released a 50-minute video covering the work of Ukrainian defence tech company DevDroid and an operation by the 5th Assault Brigade to destroy an enemy MT-LB using a strike UGV.

In the video, journalists together with company representatives break down:

• What requirements the military has for strike UGVs;
• How the 5th Assault Brigade destroyed enemy equipment and what tasks the UGV performed during the operation;
• The increase in weapon calibres mounted on UGVs;
• Interaction between platform and turret manufacturers;
• DroidBox, a unified control system for UGVs.

Previous editions of Dorozvidka can be found here.