The key facts

  • Delivery to the line of combat contact and within 20–30 km of it is done only by drones and robots, Valery Solodchuk said
  • Depending on the modification, drones deliver from 1.5 to 10 kg of cargo
  • The weight and contents of kits for soldiers were revised to match drone capabilities

Frontline supply handed over to drones and robots

Drones and robots deliver food and necessary supplies to the line of combat contact in Russian troops. This was stated on the Zvezda TV channel by the head of the rear services of the Russian Armed Forces — Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Valery Solodchuk, reports Gazeta.Ru.

Why traditional delivery was abandoned

“Take the line of combat contact and 20–30 kilometers deep from it. Delivery is only by drones and only by robots. Everything else will be disabled or destroyed,” Solodchuk said. According to him, the command's main task is preserving the lives of soldiers, so the role of drones in supply has come first: a soldier must be “clothed, shod and fed 24 hours a day.”

Kits revised to match drone capabilities

Solodchuk also noted that soldiers should not carry heavy loads, since they cover distances of 20–40 km. In this regard, the Defense Ministry revised the weight and contents of the kits that drones can deliver: depending on the modification, the vehicles can carry from 1.5 to 10 kg of cargo. This means a practical change in logistics: the contents of rations and equipment are now tailored to the payload capacity of drones, not to the capabilities of motor transport.

Related announcement from the Transport Ministry

Separately, the Transport Ministry earlier announced a new project for developing cargo delivery by drones — this is a civilian initiative that Gazeta.Ru reported at the end of October; its connection to military logistics is not disclosed in the publications.