In just a few days, the Russian army has reportedly lost around 6,000 soldiers due to deaths or injuries at Avdiivka, near Donetsk, while Moscow’s troops have heavily neglected the northern front between Kupiansk and Kremenna.
While a US manufacturer is advancing the development of the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers feared by Russia, the Ukrainians have developed an innovative weapon that is also likely to present significant challenges for Putin’s troops: the “Honey Badger,” as reported by the German news website merkur.de.
Behind the inconspicuous animal name lies an extremely dangerous kamikaze robot, known under the designation “Ratel S.” At least that’s how the Ukrainian developers explain it, who are working on it in cooperation with the renowned Ukrainian initiative “Army of Drones”. The involved experts have a clear goal: to produce as many of these unmanned platforms as possible.
Military engineer and development leader Taras Ostapchuk explained according to a report by the daily newspaper Kyiv Post: “Our ‘Honey Badger’ can cross any terrain, similar to an SUV.” While this unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) accomplishes this, the pilot can control it from a screen using radio control, including an explosive charge, making it act as a sort of “mobile explosive carrier”, as described by the Kyiv Post. Ostapchuk further explained that the drone can silently approach the enemy, easily overcome obstacles up to 20 to 25 centimeters in height, and maneuver extremely agilely on sandy terrain. At speeds of up to 24 km/h, it can reportedly carry a so-called payload of up to 40 kilograms. In military jargon, “payload” refers to the amount of explosive or ammunition traditionally used against the enemy.
Image: kremlin.ru, 2018 inauguration of Vladimir Putin 53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
