PARIS — War robots took over exhibitors’ stands at the 2026 Eurosatory edition, with at least 50 unmanned ground vehicle makers in attendance and more than a dozen systems of various sizes on display.
Many of the offerings came from various European or American firms, but experts say the country at the forefront of these technologies is, without a doubt, Ukraine.
“Ukraine leads in this space because it has an invaluable three years of battlefield testing and experimentation, which in turn have enabled the development of robust tactics and dedicated organizational structures, like new units, to employ UGVs,” Federico Borsari, fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Breaking Defense.
The war-torn country recorded its largest presence at France’s largest defense trade show last week, with over 40 manufacturers participating, several of which were showing combat robots for the first time publicly.
“The kill-zone in Ukraine can be anywhere between 15 and 50 kilometers [nine to 30 miles] in some areas — people, tanks, etc. Nothing can operate and or has a high survival chance there; that’s why we rely on UGVs so much,” said Ivan Sybyriakov, senior manager of the Unmanned Systems Center at SPETS Techno Export.
