Source: Ukrainian Armor
The Ukrainian Army has been facing a severe shortage of recruits which is leaving the available manpower of units sharply decreased. Without replacements for losses, the Ukrainian Army has not been able to conduct more strategic counterattacks to Russian advances and so must contend with only local actions. Another constant problem is resupplying troops along the front lines as well as evacuating casualties. Typically, this is done using a single SUV or pickup truck with a 2-3 man crew. However, it means running a gauntlet of drone infested skies which has become known to Ukrainian troops and drone operators as the “Kill Zone” where anything that is perceived as an enemy is subjected to FPV drone strikes. As a consequence, the risk is high for those tasked with conducting these missions. As a solution, in September 2024, Ukrainian Armor debuted its Protector UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) at the MSPO International Defense Industry Exhibition held in Kielce, Poland. On June 27, 2025, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine formally accepted the Protector for service and to date, the Protector is the largest UGV in use by the Ukrainian Army.
The 4.4-ton Protector looks to be based on Ukrainian Armor's Novator 4x4 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier), at least in the external appearance. It is fitted with a 3-litre diesel engine that develops 190 horsepower and on roads, the Protector can achieve a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour. The Protector features all-wheel drive to enhance off-road mobility. As befitting a cargo carrier, the Protector has a payload capacity of 1,543 pounds and has been shown to be capable of towing a trailer with 6,000 pounds of cargo onboard.
The operator's view comes from a day/night optical suite fitted onto a centrally mounted mast and in more built-up terrain, the maximum control range is around 4 miles but in open terrain, control range can be anywhere between 7.5 miles to a maximum of 9 miles. The operator has three independent links to the Protector via an external antenna on the UGV which allows the operator to switch control frequencies if electronic jamming is impacting signal transmissions. Although this operational distance seems relatively short ranged, it does allow the Protector to navigate through portions of the “Kill Zone” though in some sectors of the front, the “Kill Zone” can be as much as 19 miles wide. Besides the electronics which control the vehicle, the Protector is also fitted with the ICOMWare situational awareness system. Connected to a secured mesh network, the ICOMWare system permits real-time communication and information sharing. With it, the Protector can transmit feeds to any unit connected to the network. As a redundant control mechanism, the Protector is fitted with a Stalink terminal. Enough fuel is carried to provide the Protector with a maximum operational range of 249 miles.
The Protector is encased in STANAG 4569 Level 1 armor. This means it is capable of defeating up to the 7.62x51mm NATO ball round (the 147-grain M80 cartridge) at 30 meters. It can also withstand being hit by 155mm shell fragments from a range of 100 meters. Assuming the armor protection extends to the underside, the Protector can shrug off hand grenade explosions, small anti-personnel explosives, and some artillery dispersed fragmentation submunitions. In addition, the Protector is fitted with run-flat tires, allowing the UGV to retain mobility after receiving damage to the tire(s).
The Protector UGV has been shown in at least four variants in Ukrainian Armor literature. One is fitted with a RWS (Remote Weapon Station) fitted with a 14.5mm KPV heavy machine-gun and designed as a infantry support vehicle while a second retains the RWS but adds mast-mounted EW (Electronic Warfare) equipment. A third variant is a tank destroyer, fitted with two ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles) while the fourth variant is a engineering vehicle with a front mounted dozer blade, RWS, and what appears to be lane marker dispensers. To date, none of these variants have been accepted for service.
Photograph via Ukrainian Armor.
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