Pint-Sized Hero: Russia's 'Scorpion' Helps Clear Away Ukrainian Booby Traps

A small remotely-controlled mechanism has proven to be a tremendous boon to Russian combat engineers who have to deal with unexploded ordnances and mines in the Ukrainian conflict zone.

The Scorpion is a small-wheeled UGV or unmanned ground vehicle utilized by Russian bomb disposal units in locations such as the city of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

This agile and compact vehicle weighs approximately 30 kilograms and can reach speeds of about 10 kilometers per hour on pavement. Its primary function is to assist combat engineers in inspecting potential threats from a safe distance and remotely disable mines and booby traps.

Equipped with a set of cameras, an infrared illuminator, and mine-clearing attachments, the robot enables bomb disposal units to safely assess and neutralize dangerous objects.

Additionally, it has the capability to transport up to 25 kilograms of explosives in a specialized cart for controlled detonations in situations where it is too risky to send in personnel to plant charges.

Russian combat engineers primarily use the Scorpion to sweep for land mines and booby traps, a member of the Russian Army’s International Anti-Mine Center told media.

Following the liberation of Avdeyevka in February, Russian bomb disposal units cleared dozens, if not hundreds, of mines, improvised explosive devices and booby traps set up in the city by the fleeing Ukrainian forces.