在乌克兰北顿涅茨克地区，乌克兰第三军团正利用空地无人机网络部署和清除雷区，同时攻击俄军防线。这些任务是其近期备受瞩目的“维瓦尔第行动”的一部分，据称该行动迄今已在利曼市周围夺取了约50平方英里（约130平方公里）的领土。该军团表示，能够携带重型载荷并在更危险区域作业的地面无人机，正在大幅缩短布雷时间。
In northern Donetsk, Ukraine's Third Army Corps has been using a network of aerial and ground drones to deploy and clear minefields while attacking Russian lines. These missions are part of its recent high-profile offensive, Operation Vivaldi, which it's said has seized about 50 square miles around the city of Lyman so far. The corps has said that ground drones, capable of carrying heavy payloads and operating in more dangerous areas, are dramatically cutting the time for mine-laying.
一架无人机可在两天内部署深达1300英尺（约400米）的雷区，而人工小组则需要两周时间。该军团第96支援营指挥官谢尔盖·季申科向《商业内幕》透露了行动运作细节，包括部队倾向于按昼夜划分工兵与进攻任务。“夜间布雷绝对更好，因为敌人无法发现我们的无人地面车辆，”季申科说道，其营为第125独立重型机械化旅和第60机械化旅提供支援。
A single drone can deploy a minefield over 1,300 feet deep in two days, while a human crew would have taken two weeks. A commander of the corps' 96th Support Battalion, Serhii Tischenko, told Business Insider how the operation works, including how troops prefer to split sapper and attack operations by time of day. "It is definitely better to mine at night, because the enemy cannot see our UGVs," said Tischenko, whose battalion supports the 125th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade and the 60th Mechanized Brigade.
地面无人机（即无人地面车辆）最常见的是履带式或轮式平台，设计载重可达400公斤（约880磅）。季申科表示，它们在战场上很安静，因此第三军团通常在夜间清雷，白天发起突击。“白天实施突击行动更切实际，因为敌人大量使用FPV无人机（第一人称视角无人机），白天我们能更容易地发现它们，”他补充道。季申科指出，地面无人机在此发挥关键作用，因为冲锋士兵看到前方有无人机，就能确信路径安全，从而获得信心。
Ground drones, or uncrewed ground vehicles, are most commonly tracked or wheeled platforms, designed to carry up to 400 kg, or about 880 pounds. They're quiet on the battlefield, Tischenko said, so it's common for the Third Army Corps to clear mines at night, then launch assaults in the day. "It is more practical to carry out assault operations during the day because the enemy uses a lot of FPV drones, and during daylight we can detect them more easily," he added. Ground drones play a critical role here, Tischenko said, because an assault soldier seeing one ahead of them provides clarity and confidence that the path is clear.
“他们能继续前进，无需时刻担心被地雷重创。这在突击中至关重要，”季申科说。他还表示，第96营也利用无人机实施布雷任务，主要目的是延缓俄军推进，为乌军争取反应时间。
"They can keep moving forward without constantly worrying about being seriously injured by a mine. This is extremely important during an assault," Tischenko said. The 96th also uses drones for mining operations, he said, which primarily help slow Russian advances and give the Ukrainians time to respond.
除了地面无人机，季先科表示，他的部队还部署了重型空中轰炸机——通常是可携带多达40公斤载荷的六旋翼无人机——一次可布设数十枚地雷。季先科说：“一架重型轰炸机可在特定区域投放多达40枚反步兵地雷。”指挥官补充道，一个典型的夜晚，重型轰炸机机组可执行五架次任务，飞行距离达10公里（约合6英里多）。他表示，平均而言，其营里的布雷机组每月可执行约130架次任务。季先科说，较小型的空中无人机也可投放炸药包以清除俄军雷区。
Aside from ground drones, Tischenko said his unit has also been deploying heavy aerial bombers — typically hexacopters that can carry up to 40 kg — to lay dozens of mines at a time. "A single heavy bomber can drop up to 40 anti-personnel mines over a specific area," Tischenko said. A typical night could see a heavy bomber crew running five sorties at distances of up to 10 km, or just over six miles, the commander added. On average, a mining crew in his battalion could conduct about 130 sorties a month, he said. Smaller aerial drones can also drop explosive charges to clear Russian minefields, Tischenko said.
季先科表示：“这产生了显著成效。我们扰乱并瓦解了敌人及其突击群的士气。”他补充说，在“维瓦尔第行动”期间，其部队沿约18英里（约29公里）的前线实施了布雷任务。
"And this produced significant results. We disrupted and demoralized the enemy and their assault groups," said Tischenko, who added that his unit conducted mining missions along about 18 miles of the front lines during Operation Vivaldi.
过去一年半里，乌克兰大力推广使用无人驾驶地面车辆，官员们常称其为“机器人”，旨在最大限度减少人员暴露在最危险的前线角色中。季先科补充道，与士兵不同，地面无人机不会疲劳或分心，这使它们非常适合细致的排雷作业。他说，更重要的是，它们受损或被毁后可以修复。
Ukraine has spent the last year and a half heavily promoting the use of uncrewed ground vehicles, which its officials often call "robots," as a way to minimize human exposure to the most dangerous frontline roles. Unlike soldiers, ground drones don't tire or lose concentration, making them perfect for meticulous sapping work, Tischenko added. More importantly, they can be repaired when damaged or destroyed, he said.
指挥官说：“人的生命一旦失去，就无法挽回。我们宁愿花钱购买无人驾驶地面车辆，也不愿冒士兵生命危险。”
"A human life, once lost, cannot be restored. We would rather spend money on UGVs than risk the lives of our soldiers," said the commander.