Krisen-Reporter Jan Jessen berichtet
In Crisis Mode
Veröffentlicht am 29.04.2026 / 04:55
This episode was made with AI.
The front in Ukraine has turned into a "death zone," relentlessly patrolled by drones. While kamikaze drones haunt the front lines, long-range systems strike deep into the Russian heartland. On the ground, robots ferry ammunition to the trenches and extract the wounded from the line of fire. Military expert Gustav Gressel explains why modern offensive and defensive maneuvers are essentially "suicide missions" without drone support, how Ukraine is pioneering new tactics with land and air robotics, and why humanoid combat robots remain little more than a military gimmick. A Ukrainian officer recounts how his unit used a ground drone to evacuate a critically injured soldier 16 kilometers through a frozen death zone at -15 degrees.
Jan Jessen, war correspondent for the FUNKE Media Group and host of the podcast Im Krisenmodus (In Crisis Mode), analyzes the impact of this drone war on soldiers and outlines the urgent lessons for Germany and Europe.
Guests:
Host:
1 | The Death Zone and Ground Robotics at the Front
Jan describes the drone-dominated "death zone" and his visit to the 101st Brigade to see the Droid TW 12.7. Gustav Gressel discusses how ground drones are becoming mass-produced tools for logistics, medical evacuation, and combat.
2 | "Lifesaving Equipment": Medical Evacuation by Ground Drone
A Ukrainian officer details a 16 km evacuation at $-15^\circ\text{C}$. Jan discusses the "tourniquet problem" (high amputation rates) and how ground drones save lives without putting more soldiers at risk.
3 | The War Machine: Drones, Resupply, and Foxhole Life
Jan explores how drones dictate daily life: sustaining soldiers isolated in foxholes for months, the 20 kg payload limit of aerial drones versus the 200 kg capacity of ground robots, and the use of "net tunnels" to counter Russian FPV drones.
4 | Robotic Assaults and the Limits of AI
Gressel explains Ukraine’s testing of robotic assaults and the role of drones across the seven phases of an attack—noting that infantry is still required to hold ground. Discussion includes AI "mission-driven" drones, the "Helsing" issues, and why signal interference makes swarming difficult.
5 | The Terminator Myth vs. Real Combat Robots
Jan introduces the Phantom MK1 and the "Terminator" trope. Gressel debunks the sci-fi myth: humanoid robots are militarily impractical. He argues that flat, specialized machines are far more effective than "robots with glowing eyes."
6 | Hybrid Armies and the Warfare of 2026
Gressel concludes that while drones are a permanent fixture of the digital revolution, they coexist with traditional artillery and infantry in "mixed armies." Jan’s final takeaway: war is increasingly digital yet remains brutally analog. Machines both kill and save, and the lessons from Ukraine will soon reshape global defense.
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