Russia to test exoskeletons for Ukraine war

Reports about the poor equipment of Moscow's troops are piling up: Now, however, secret military units are said to be trying to use futuristic combat suits. These are supposed to help load grenades more quickly. The Russian state-owned company Rostec claims to have already delivered hundreds of thousands to the military.

Secret Russian military units plan to test exoskeletons (robotic suits) later this year that will give soldiers fighting in Ukraine better endurance and strength. This is reported by the "Telegraph" referring to Ekzo Solutions, which manufactures these suits.

According to the report, Maxim Skokov, CEO of the Russian company, tells the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that his company had been approached by "special agencies" - the Telegraph suspects that they are intelligence agencies or private military groups - that wanted to test and possibly deploy its equipment on the battlefields of Ukraine.

Exoskeletons are futuristic robotic suits, these are under development around the world and will allow troops to carry extra weight or armor protection. "Artillerymen are interested in exoskeletons to reduce the weight of shells when loading," Skokov continued. "We will conduct tests at a military training area in November or December, with a potential customer testing the effectiveness of our equipment in the field."

Rostec claims to have shipped 300,000 exoskeletons

According to the British newspaper, Ekzo Solutions already builds relatively affordable partial exoskeletons and harnesses that are used in industry. According to the paper, Skokov claims to already be producing 50 exoskeletons per month. "But if necessary, we will be able to increase production quickly."

Ekzo Solutions is part of the Russian state-owned corporation Rostec, which was founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2018, Rostec unveiled the first combat suit produced in Russia. The armored suits, including the "Warrior" model, were tested in Syria during Russia's military operation, according to the report. Rostec claimed to have supplied 300,000 exoskeletons to the Russian military in recent years. However, no such suits have yet been seen during Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, the paper writes.

The report on the futuristic suits comes at a time when there is increasing criticism of the inadequate equipment of thousands of Russian soldiers in Ukraine. For example, British intelligence said that Moscow troops were running out of equipment and ammunition. Moreover, in September, videos emerged of soldiers complaining that they lacked water and food.

For more endurance and strength: Russia wants to test exoskeletons for Ukraine war - n-tv.de (08.22.2022)