UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Apr. 9 — Ukrainian forces have recorded the first use of Russia’s unmanned ground vehicle Chelnok on the Kharkiv axis, the 11th Army Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces reported.
This marks the first known appearance of the system since its presentation in April 2024, when it was introduced as an engineering demining vehicle equipped with a UR-83P mine-clearing system.
The platform is 3.4 meters (11 feet) in height, 3.8 meters (12 feet) in length, and 2.5 meters (8.3 feet) in width, with a weight of 1,350 kilograms (2,976 pounds) without payload.
Its large size may be a significant drawback, as the vehicle is highly visible and comparable in size to a passenger car, making it difficult to conceal in terrain or forest belts, the 11th Army Corps’ statement said.
The system can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph) on land and up to 5 km/h (3.11 mph) on water.
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