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Samuel Bendett

@sambendett • 46,899 subscribers

Analysis of military robotics, drones/UAVs, AI and Russian military weapons development. CNA, CNAS and CSIS. Opinions my own. @sambendett.bsky.social

Shorts

Russian TG channels are posting this code of a Courier 2.0 upgraded UGV

Russian TG channels are posting this code of a Courier 2.0 upgraded UGV

43,433 views

Another Russian MOD video showing kamikaze UGV in Ukraine, armed with a TM-62 mine.

Another Russian MOD video showing kamikaze UGV in Ukraine, armed with a TM-62 mine.

71,469 views

Russian CUAS school conducts a live-fire exercise against a quadcopter. The school claims it can use up to 20 quadcopters to mimic actual combat.

Russian CUAS school conducts a live-fire exercise against a quadcopter. The school claims it can use up to 20 quadcopters to mimic actual combat.

45,593 views

A Russian mining UGV somewhere in eastern Ukraine

A Russian mining UGV somewhere in eastern Ukraine

18,426 views

Russian efforts are manufacturing fiber-optic spools around the clock using Chinese technology/Chinese exports - one such effort posted the following spools in boxes ready for the front after a 24-hour operation.

Russian efforts are manufacturing fiber-optic spools around the clock using Chinese technology/Chinese exports - one such effort posted the following spools in boxes ready for the front after a 24-hour operation.

17,860 views

Rus TG channels are posting videos of "Krot" (Mole) UGV that delivers a TM-62 mine to target.

Rus TG channels are posting videos of "Krot" (Mole) UGV that delivers a TM-62 mine to target.

15,113 views

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Russia’s Dmitry Rogozin via his Telegram channel: “Marker UGVs have arrived in Donbas. We will start uploading target images and combat algorithms, and will install anti-tank weapons.”
1:40
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Russia’s Dmitry Rogozin via his Telegram channel: “Marker UGVs have arrived in Donbas. We will start uploading target images and combat algorithms, and will install anti-tank weapons.”

Samuel Bendett

1,758,478 views • 3 years ago

Russian TG channels are discussing this DIY 3D printed portable CUAS surface-to-air missile (SAM) system with a strike range of up to 2km that apparently costs anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 rubles to make, compared to Igla-S military-grade SAM that costs around 9 million rubles.
0:29
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Russian TG channels are discussing this DIY 3D printed portable CUAS surface-to-air missile (SAM) system with a strike range of up to 2km that apparently costs anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 rubles to make, compared to Igla-S military-grade SAM that costs around 9 million rubles.

Samuel Bendett

304,911 views • 1 year ago

Russian military commentators continue to argue that frontline DIY developments "from shit and sticks" (in this case, a simple plywood drone with a claimed range of 50 km and a 4kg cargo) outpace tech developments in the rear that still seek out "office doors" (official approval)
0:34
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Russian military commentators continue to argue that frontline DIY developments "from shit and sticks" (in this case, a simple plywood drone with a claimed range of 50 km and a 4kg cargo) outpace tech developments in the rear that still seek out "office doors" (official approval)

Samuel Bendett

198,426 views • 9 months ago

Russian DIY modification for a tactical drone - a drum-style, six-shot revolver drop mechanism. The drone carries six munitions at once, releasing them sequentially: "The system is universal: it can be mounted on both a DJI Mavic quadcopter and an FPV drone. Now, the operator has six times the chance of striking a target—a critical advantage, especially if the initial pass misses its mark."
0:47
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Russian DIY modification for a tactical drone - a drum-style, six-shot revolver drop mechanism. The drone carries six munitions at once, releasing them sequentially: "The system is universal: it can be mounted on both a DJI Mavic quadcopter and an FPV drone. Now, the operator has six times the chance of striking a target—a critical advantage, especially if the initial pass misses its mark."

Samuel Bendett

35,231 views • 2 months ago

Russian FPV drone hunting a Ukrainian UGV at night: Rus mil bloggers point out that since such UGVs usually use existing roads, they can be potentially easy to track for destruction or to ID its operator's C2 location.
0:20
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Russian FPV drone hunting a Ukrainian UGV at night: Rus mil bloggers point out that since such UGVs usually use existing roads, they can be potentially easy to track for destruction or to ID its operator's C2 location.

Samuel Bendett

32,287 views • 2 months ago

A (heavily edited) Rus state news video on a field drone production and repair workshop, built underground and within 15km from the line of contact, and manufactures fiber-optic cable spools up to 30km in range (the place looks unusually clean for a field lab).
4:38
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A (heavily edited) Rus state news video on a field drone production and repair workshop, built underground and within 15km from the line of contact, and manufactures fiber-optic cable spools up to 30km in range (the place looks unusually clean for a field lab).

Samuel Bendett

62,555 views • 7 months ago

Russian Defense Minister Belousov: The Russian Armed Forces will form a new branch - "Unmanned Systems Force" - and will complete their creation in the third quarter of 2025."
0:33
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Russian Defense Minister Belousov: The Russian Armed Forces will form a new branch - "Unmanned Systems Force" - and will complete their creation in the third quarter of 2025."

Samuel Bendett

126,368 views • 1 year ago

1/ THREAD: On September 6-7, 2025, the fourth annual "DRONNITSA" meet-up took place in Russia's Novgorod region, organized by KCPN (Coordination Center for Assistance to Novorossiya) and Ushkuynik Enterprise (that builds KVN fiber-optic drones), with assistance from Novgorod region government.
1:29
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1/ THREAD: On September 6-7, 2025, the fourth annual "DRONNITSA" meet-up took place in Russia's Novgorod region, organized by KCPN (Coordination Center for Assistance to Novorossiya) and Ushkuynik Enterprise (that builds KVN fiber-optic drones), with assistance from Novgorod region government.

Samuel Bendett

66,658 views • 9 months ago

Russian Courier UGV modified for the remote emplacement of MON-200 directional mines: "It can also be utilized to breach lanes through minefields using explosive methods."
2:24
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Russian Courier UGV modified for the remote emplacement of MON-200 directional mines: "It can also be utilized to breach lanes through minefields using explosive methods."

Samuel Bendett

15,723 views • 1 month ago

Russian video featuring a nightmarish scenario of the Russian government as a bureaucrat that shows up whenever someone tries to find a way to bypass the Telegram ban: “You should realize by now that you have nowhere to run. What do you have against the Max app?”
0:37
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Russian video featuring a nightmarish scenario of the Russian government as a bureaucrat that shows up whenever someone tries to find a way to bypass the Telegram ban: “You should realize by now that you have nowhere to run. What do you have against the Max app?”

Samuel Bendett

24,218 views • 2 months ago

Russian volunteers are showcasing a makeshift FPV assembly workshop with commercial 3D printers.
0:45
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Russian volunteers are showcasing a makeshift FPV assembly workshop with commercial 3D printers.

Samuel Bendett

133,702 views • 2 years ago

Russian state media report on the mandatory training at the Omsk Automobile and Armored Engineering Institute that includes the design and use of combat UAVs and UGVs.
0:39
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Russian state media report on the mandatory training at the Omsk Automobile and Armored Engineering Institute that includes the design and use of combat UAVs and UGVs.

Samuel Bendett

21,376 views • 2 months ago

Russian Unmanned Systems Forces operators are undergoing UGV training with Courier and Depesha combat and logistics platforms: "Under the watchful eyes of instructors, they practice operating ground robots in conditions of active EW jamming, closely resembling the realities of Ukraine combat. They learn to deliver ammunition and medicine, conduct reconnaissance and fire support, and evacuate the wounded. In addition, soldiers undergo tact med, fire and assault training, as well as in-depth study of tactical UAVs."
1:54
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Russian Unmanned Systems Forces operators are undergoing UGV training with Courier and Depesha combat and logistics platforms: "Under the watchful eyes of instructors, they practice operating ground robots in conditions of active EW jamming, closely resembling the realities of Ukraine combat. They learn to deliver ammunition and medicine, conduct reconnaissance and fire support, and evacuate the wounded. In addition, soldiers undergo tact med, fire and assault training, as well as in-depth study of tactical UAVs."

Samuel Bendett

30,758 views • 4 months ago

Russia's Rubicon Center ad, showing DJI quadcopters, FPV drones attacking Western tanks and heavy multirotor UAVs, and a glimpse of a USV operated by this unit - the voice over says "The future arrived yesterday - become a part of it."
0:50
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Russia's Rubicon Center ad, showing DJI quadcopters, FPV drones attacking Western tanks and heavy multirotor UAVs, and a glimpse of a USV operated by this unit - the voice over says "The future arrived yesterday - become a part of it."

Samuel Bendett

41,352 views • 7 months ago

Russian winter tests of the Courier combat UGV. While Russians point out that the video shows the UGV handling the snow, it can also be very visible for Ukrainian ISR and/or combat UAVs.
0:31
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Russian winter tests of the Courier combat UGV. While Russians point out that the video shows the UGV handling the snow, it can also be very visible for Ukrainian ISR and/or combat UAVs.

Samuel Bendett

20,534 views • 3 months ago

Relevant for combat or just PR? Russia's Project Archangel is showing the "integration" of their CUAS interceptor drone with a fighter jet "...so that the interceptor can be "piloted" by a jet fighter crew." But the drone is zip tied to the plane, so...
0:38
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Relevant for combat or just PR? Russia's Project Archangel is showing the "integration" of their CUAS interceptor drone with a fighter jet "...so that the interceptor can be "piloted" by a jet fighter crew." But the drone is zip tied to the plane, so...

Samuel Bendett

50,511 views • 10 months ago

Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces are testing the Courier UGV mine countermeasures system equipped with an electromagnetic sweep: "The footage demonstrates the system's operation in neutralizing and remotely detonating various types of mines—ranging from PMN-2 and PMN-4 anti-personnel mines to barrier nodes and "mine barriers." Note another soldier filming the test on his personal phone.
1:32
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Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces are testing the Courier UGV mine countermeasures system equipped with an electromagnetic sweep: "The footage demonstrates the system's operation in neutralizing and remotely detonating various types of mines—ranging from PMN-2 and PMN-4 anti-personnel mines to barrier nodes and "mine barriers." Note another soldier filming the test on his personal phone.

Samuel Bendett

17,492 views • 2 months ago

Rus MOD report on the use of “Chelnok” logistics UGV
0:22
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Rus MOD report on the use of “Chelnok” logistics UGV

Samuel Bendett

11,167 views • 1 month ago

Russian MOD: There will be no transfer of personnel and soldiers from Unmanned Systems Forces units to other formations without official agreement by said service members. This official statement supposedly assures those who were often forcibly transferred to assault units.
4:13
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Russian MOD: There will be no transfer of personnel and soldiers from Unmanned Systems Forces units to other formations without official agreement by said service members. This official statement supposedly assures those who were often forcibly transferred to assault units.

Samuel Bendett

10,615 views • 1 month ago