Ukrainian amphibious UGV Tonі can carry up to 380 kg

A Ukrainian defence tech startup has developed Toni, an unmanned amphibious ground platform designed for logistics, evacuation and special tasks on land and water.

Defender Media asked the project team about the platform’s capabilities and the founders’ backgrounds.

Specifications and capabilities

Toni is built on an 8×8 wheeled platform with an electric powertrain with two motors. It can carry up to 380 kg of cargo on land and up to 280 kg on water.

It reaches a maximum speed of 13 km/h on land and 2-4 km/h on water. It has a range of up to 50 km on land and 5 km on water at 50% battery charge. The team says it is working on increasing speed and range.

On land, the platform moves on eight wheels. The wheels also provide propulsion on water, while a waterjet propulsion system is still being tested. Toni can enter the water at an angle of up to 32° and exit onto the shore at up to 27°.

The platform is controlled via ELRS and Starlink communication channels. LTE integration is in testing. If communication is lost, the Failsafe Stop system halts the platform. For observation, it has daytime, night-vision, and thermal cameras, and a pump to drain water.

Who is behind Toni

The developers are not disclosing the company’s name or the founders’ names, but shared their backgrounds. The project’s author and chief engineer is the 2025 Ukrainian buggy racing champion. Before the full-scale invasion, he ran several businesses in various sectors.

Another co-founder held senior positions in banks before the war and helped create a TV channel with an audience of 5 million viewers. Since 2022, he has served in a territorial community volunteer formation and has since founded a UAV manufacturing company.

The manufacturer says Toni has already passed trials at the Iron Polygon, a state project of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff created to test Ukrainian weapons and military equipment. The company claims it is currently the only amphibious platform to pass the tests there. The platform has also been tested at the Brave1 cluster.

According to the developers, the prototype is now ready for trials in conditions close to real combat. The platform’s estimated price is UAH 2 million.

The developers of Toni add that they are open to attracting investment.

Defender Media previously reported on the first logistics mission carried out by an amphibious UGV with the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade. The vehicle travelled 40 km across land and water, delivering supplies and ammunition to frontline positions.