Russian servicemen from the training center of an engineering brigade in the North group of forces have armed a ground robotic complex with an Egoza barbed wire barrier.
The head of the training center, identified by his callsign Haron, announced the deployment of the uncrewed system in an interview published by Russian news agency RIA Novosti on August 28, 2026.
The tracked uncrewed vehicle has been modified with a specialized mounting rack that holds a spiral reel of Egoza razor wire. Russian forces use the wire obstacles primarily to impede advancing enemy infantry positions across contested areas.
In addition to blocking ground infantry, the Egoza wire barrier is capable of cutting through the fiber-optic control lines used by wired drones. Tethered aerial drones rely on physical optical fiber spools for guidance, making them immune to electronic radio jamming but vulnerable to physical cable breaks.
Haron described the deployment procedure, explaining that the uncrewed machine drives up to a designated area, drops an anchor into the ground, and reverses away. The movement of the machine stretches out the wire obstacle across the ground, after which the robot leaves the location.
Battlefield roles of ground robots
Ground robotic complexes, known in Russia by the acronym NRTK, are remote-controlled land platforms designed for high-hazard military tasks. The Egoza system is a high-tensile concertina wire featuring razor-sharp barbs, commonly deployed in defensive fortifications to prevent enemy personnel from breaching perimeters.
The modification comes as Russian defense manufacturers expand the combat roles of uncrewed ground platforms. Earlier in August 2026, Russian defense holding Vysokotochnye Kompleksy reported that its Depesha-3 ground robot had transported almost 40,000 kilograms of supplies and cargo to frontline soldiers.
In addition to cargo transportation and supply delivery, defense officials noted that ground robotic complexes are regularly assigned to carry out engineering reconnaissance and hazard surveying tasks in active conflict zones.
