Breaking News
Russia Fields Courier UGV Armed with Shmel Thermobaric Rocket Module on the Ukraine Front.
Russian outlets have released the first confirmed footage of the Courier flamethrower robot operating on the Sumy axis. The deployment signals a growing shift toward small unmanned ground vehicles as Russia experiments with new combat roles for robotic platforms.
On 17 November 2025, Russian media released the first verified footage of a miniature flamethrower robot operating on the Sumy axis of the war in Ukraine, showing a tracked unmanned vehicle striking Ukrainian positions in a tree line. The system, described as a robotic flamethrower complex based on the NRTK “Courier” platform, marks a new step in Russia’s use of ground combat robots, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The video itself was published by the Telegram channel “Arkhangel Spetsnaz”, which presented the compact machine as a “small Solntsepek”, echoing the nickname of Russia’s heavy thermobaric artillery systems. The appearance of this unmanned flamethrower underlines how the front in Ukraine has become a laboratory for robotic warfare and the rapid weaponisation of existing platforms.
The modified Courier system is a compact tracked unmanned vehicle fitted with a roof mounted Shmel thermobaric rocket module that delivers short range incendiary or blast focused strikes through a remotely operated, sensor guided launcher block (Picture Source: Russian Social Media)
The defense product at the centre of this new footage is the NRTK “Courier”, a tracked unmanned ground vehicle originally conceived as a multi-purpose carrier for logistics, casualty evacuation and engineering tasks. In its latest configuration, the chassis receives a roof-mounted launcher block derived from the RPO-M “Shmel-M” infantry flamethrower, transforming the Courier from a utility robot into a remote fire-support system. Russian reports speak of a package of ten Shmel launchers installed on the new modification, while other descriptions mention an eight-tube module undergoing combat trials, suggesting that several variants of the flamethrower block are being evaluated simultaneously. The observed vehicle in the published imagery matches the 10-tube configuration: two rows of cylindrical launch tubes on a rotating and elevating mount, coupled with a sensor mast for day-night observation and remote aiming. Cables and exposed wiring indicate a rapidly integrated weapon station rather than a fully industrialised series product, but the basic concept, a small, tele-operated tracked carrier delivering thermobaric salvos, is clear.
From an operational standpoint, the flamethrower Courier is an evolution of a system that has been present in the “special military operation” zone since at least 2024, when the first Courier robots were reported at the front performing resupply, evacuation and mine-laying tasks. Combat operators described the platform as relatively easy to master within a few days, precisely because it was designed with soldiers rather than engineers in mind. Over time, the family has expanded to include assault configurations with machine guns and automatic grenade launchers, specialised miner robots and cargo carriers, all based on the same tracked chassis. The flamethrower variant now seen in Sumy fits into this incremental development path: instead of creating a new robot, Russian designers have grafted a compact rocket-flamethrower battery onto a proven remote-controlled carrier. Parallel to this, Russia is finalising tests of a modernised heavy flamethrower system built on the T-80 tank chassis, known in the West for systems like TOS-1 and TOS-1A; official reports claim the upgraded system offers greater accuracy, longer range and a higher level of automation. Taken together, the heavy T-80-based launcher and the small Courier-Shmel combination indicate a layered approach to thermobaric fire, from long-range area denial to close-in, precision engagements in complex terrain.
At the heart of the Courier flamethrower concept lies the RPO-M “Shmel-M” launcher. Traditionally a man-portable, shoulder-fired weapon, the Shmel family deploys thermobaric or incendiary warheads that disperse a fuel-air mixture before detonation, generating a high-temperature blast and intense overpressure inside confined spaces. Mounted in a bank of eight or ten tubes on a UGV, the same munitions become a small but concentrated salvo capable of collapsing field fortifications, dugouts and bunkers or denying access to a forest belt, trench line or urban block. Compared with a soldier carrying a single Shmel, the robot offers greater immediate volume of fire and removes the operator from direct exposure to counter-fire and the effects of the thermobaric blast. Compared with the heavy TOS family, however, the Courier’s destructive radius and range are far more limited; this is a tactical system, not an operational-level area-saturation weapon. In essence, the “small Solntsepek” occupies a niche between infantry flamethrowers and heavy thermobaric artillery, bringing a multi-shot capability right up to the forward edge of the battle area without placing crews in the line of fire.
The robotized flamethrower offers notable operational advantages but also carries significant limitations. Its compact, low-profile tracked chassis enhances mobility in forested, muddy, or partially devastated terrain, yet imagery shows it lacks substantive armor protection. Consequently, the platform is exposed to artillery fragments, small-arms fire, anti-tank weapons and, importantly, FPV drones widely used by both sides. As a tele-operated system, its effective employment is constrained by radio-link range, susceptibility to electronic-warfare and terrain masking; loss of the control signal converts the vehicle into a stationary target. Its ammunition capacity is limited to roughly eight to ten rockets, typically delivered in rapid succession, making the system best suited to short, high‑impact tasks, breaching a strongpoint or suppressing a specific trench, rather than prolonged engagements. After firing a salvo, the vehicle must withdraw to reload, increasing the risk of detection. Despite these drawbacks, the capability to project thermobaric effects into a designated grove, bunker or intersection while the crew remains under cover provides a tangible tactical advantage for assault units.
The deployment of the Courier flamethrower variant in Sumy underscores Russia’s continued investment in ground-based robotics as an immediate and practical response to battlefield attrition and the increasingly lethal conditions of modern warfare. Russian state media have previously reported on the use of multiple Courier platforms equipped with grenade launchers in offensive operations, including what they described as one of the first recorded “robot-versus-robot” engagements against Ukrainian unmanned systems near Berdychi in 2024. The introduction of the flamethrower configuration further advances this concept, positioning robotic systems not merely as reconnaissance assets or logistical support tools but as integral participants in combat operations and force suppression.
For Ukraine and its allies, this development highlights the urgency of enhancing counter-robot capabilities, ranging from anti-UGV mines and directed-energy weapons to improved drone reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems designed to disrupt control links. At the geopolitical level, the dissemination of related footage through outlets such as Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Rambler, and pro-war Telegram channels serves a dual purpose: to demonstrate Russia’s capacity for military adaptation under sanctions and to signal its view of unmanned systems as a critical differentiator relative to NATO forces. Russian sources further indicate that the NRTK segment is poised for expansion, with additional, as-yet undisclosed combat modules planned for the Courier platform, potentially incorporating anti-tank missiles, loitering munitions, or advanced sensor and electronic warfare payloads.
This first openly released combat footage of a Courier-based flamethrower robot therefore marks more than a technical curiosity: it is a visible milestone in the progressive mechanisation and automation of ground combat on the Ukrainian front. A small tracked vehicle, carrying a cluster of re-purposed infantry flamethrowers, now delivers thermobaric strikes in place of human operators, while engineers prepare more capable heavy T-80-based flamethrower systems in the background. What is currently a handful of prototypes undergoing combat testing could evolve into a family of specialised, mass-produced robots, further blurring the line between manned and unmanned units in offensive operations. The “small Solntsepek” is a reminder that robotic warfare is no longer a future scenario but an unfolding reality, and that doctrines, protections and escalation-management strategies will have to adapt quickly to this new layer of risk on an already highly volatile battlefield.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.