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Evening Edition · Saturday, May 30, 2026Published at 8:05 PM EDT · New York
A US Firm Says It Tested Humanoid Robots in a Combat Zone in Ukraine
The company describes the machines as ammunition carriers, an early sign of how automation is moving onto the battlefield.
An American company says it has tested humanoid robots in a combat area in Ukraine, a claim that, if accurate, marks an early step in bringing autonomous machines to the front line. The Russian agency TASS, citing a television interview, reported that the chief executive of Foundation Future Industries, Sankaet Pathak, told CNBC the robots' core function was to deliver ammunition to the front.
The account comes from a single company executive relayed through Russian state media, and the specifics have not been independently verified. The broader direction it points to, however, is consistent with a defense-technology sector rapidly deploying drones, autonomous vehicles, and now bipedal robots in active war zones.
The economic significance is the convergence of two trends. Venture-funded technology startups are moving into military supply roles once held by traditional contractors, and Ukraine has become the place where new systems are tested in actual combat. That combination is changing who profits from war and how quickly experimental hardware reaches deployment.
Veracity: Corroborated
80/100- If true, who benefits
Foundation Future Industries gains investor and Pentagon attention from a first-in-combat claim, and Russian state media gains a story illustrating foreign escalation in Ukraine.
- The nuance
The deployment is corroborated directly by CNBC, not only TASS, but the scope rests on the company's own account, and Foundation has previously made claims, such as ties to General Motors, that were rejected.
An open-source-intelligence read of how likely this story is true with its real nuance, not a judgment of any outlet. It assesses the claim, weighing independent and adversarial reporting. How we label confidence.
What this means
Battlefield automation is creating a new category of defense supplier that combines Silicon Valley funding with frontline testing. For investors, it signals where defense spending and venture capital are converging, and it raises questions about oversight that markets have not yet had to price.
What to watch
Source: TASS
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