--- title: "Wild Video Shows Ukrainian Troops Evacuate Babushka With a Military Robot" description: "A video out of the front-lines of the Russo-Ukraine war shows a robot piloted by the 3rd Army Corps evacuate a 77-year old woman." date: "2026-05-01" modified: "2026-05-01" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/babushka-ukraine-robot-war" categories: - "Military" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" - "Science & Energy" --- # Wild Video Shows Ukrainian Troops Evacuate Babushka With a Military Robot ![A small, light-colored military robot is shown from above on a paved surface. The robot has an older woman sitting on it.]() *3rd Army Corps* One granny has been safely plucked from the frontlines of the Russo-Ukrainian war by the unlikeliest of heroes: a remote-guided robot. A bizarre video clip [shared by the *BBC*]() shows what appears to be an unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, approaching an elderly woman struggling to evacuate her village, Lyman, which had been decimated in the war. According to the *BBC*, the robot's operators in Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps attached amessage to the UGV via a shred of blanket reading "grandma, sit down," to convince the woman the approaching robot was a friend, not a foe. It isn't exactly clear what UGV was involved in the operation, though according to [Ukrainian state media]() it was guided by a separate surveillance drone. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JAh1pRqt0eY Though she had reportedly lived in Lyman for 53 years, its destruction by advancing Russian troops had made life impossible for the woman, identified as a 77-year old named Antonina Horuzha. "I thought I wouldn't make it and didn't have the strength," the , told the *BBC*, which translated her comments. "I thought I'd lie among the trees and that would be it." UGVs are a staple piece of equipment on the Ukrainian front lines, used to [ferry supplies]() like food and ammo to troops, as well as [evacuating wounded personnel]() away from harm. In March, it was announced that a San Francisco-based company had sent [two humanoid robots]() to the frontlines for reconnaissance tasks — though the vast majority of bots on both sides of the conflict are remote-controlled drones, like the kind that evacuated Horuzha away from the ravages of war. **More on military tech:** *[After Banning Anthropic From Military Use, Pentagon Still Relying Heavily on It in Iran War]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()