LUGANSK, August 20. /TASS/. Fighters of the Russian Battlegroup South’s 75th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment have modernized the Kuryer ground robotic system, equipping it with an upgraded automatic turret to combat Ukrainian drones, a ground robotic system crew commander with the call sign Burya told TASS.

"One of our ground robotic systems is used to target 'birds' – that is, heavy [Ukrainian drones] that are flying. [Equipped with a machine gun], it’s positioned at a high elevation and engages enemy drones. It locks onto targets automatically and operates automatically in response to movement. We’ve actually slightly improved its movement – that is, the turret operates 10 times faster than it did on the factory model," he said.

According to him, the system performed successfully on the very first day after being deployed to its position and continues to operate to this day. He emphasized that the advantage of such a system lies in its ability to carry out tasks without risking human lives, which is especially important in situations where the movement of personnel is restricted.

The service member noted that further improvements to the vehicles are planned in the near future, and they will be used with machine guns to combat enemy drones at various positions with human operators at a safe distance.

According to Burya, the Russian military is using modified ground robotic systems to protect air observation posts from attacks by Ukrainian drones.

"Our guys are positioned at the air observation posts. When they come under fire, there are moments when drones simply turn around and start firing at the air observation posts, that is, at our soldiers, therefore it’s much better to use the systems. The mobile turret <...> can be hidden in trees and bushes, you can even dig a hole and hide [it] there," he said.

The ground robotic system crew chief said that the key element of the system is a camera that provides visual target tracking. According to him, the operator initially sets the turret’s direction, after which it switches to automatic mode and tracks the enemy drone’s movement, firing at it.