Two weeks after Serbia opened a factory producing Chinese-designed robots, the Serbian military has showcased armed four-legged robots operating alongside soldiers during a major military exercise.
The use of the robots on September 13 came after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić pledged on August 29 that Chinese-designed armed robots intended for the Serbian military would be seen “within 15 days” of the opening of the robotics factory in Šabac, western Serbia.
The armed quadruped robots resemble the D1 Max Pro, an industrial robot manufactured by Chinese company AgiBot, which is a partner in the Šabac factory. However, it remains unclear whether the robots displayed during the exercise were assembled in Serbia. The Serbian military did not respond to Radio Free Europe’s question about where the robotic dogs were manufactured.
According to reports, the quadruped robots used during the “Victor 2026” military exercise in southwestern Serbia were equipped with Yugoslav-designed Wasp anti-tank missiles, automatic rifles and 40mm grenade launchers. Footage shows the four-legged robots firing an automatic weapon and entering a makeshift building while soldiers move alongside them.
The robotics factory in Šabac aims to produce 3,000 humanoid and quadruped robots annually, and footage from the military exercise has raised concerns about the emergence of killer robotic dogs in Balkan armies. However, observers say this does not appear likely in the near future.
“Serbia will likely face the same problems that have prompted militaries to reconsider the use of robotic dogs,” Jared Keller, a U.S. weapons technology expert, told Radio Free Europe.
“Compared with other unmanned platforms, quadruped robots still need further development” to overcome issues related to reliability and range, he added.
The Ukrainian military attracted widespread attention after releasing information in August 2024 about its soldiers’ use of robotic dogs. However, during the following two years, the robots have rarely been seen on the battlefield. During the same period, wheeled ground drones have been widely used by troops along the front line.
A representative of Brave1, the Ukrainian initiative behind many of the country’s innovations in warfare, told Radio Free Europe that wheeled drones “may be more suitable [than quadruped robots] for certain missions because of the payload they can carry, their autonomy and their ability to be used for long-range missions.”
Brave1 did not directly answer whether quadruped robots have been phased out of use in the war in Ukraine, but said that “legged platforms can offer advantages in difficult terrain or around obstacles.”
A Ukrainian wheeled ground drone known as “Spider,” used by the country’s military, weighs 50 kilograms but can carry a payload of up to 100 kilograms. By comparison, an advanced quadruped robot of the same weight as the Spider can carry only 10 kilograms. Belgrade has stated that its “robotic dog” has a maximum payload capacity of 50 kilograms.
Robotic dogs are mechanically far more complex than wheeled drones, as each quadruped robot requires around 12 separate motors, along with a complex array of sensors. This mechanical complexity drains batteries, increases the likelihood of breakdowns and raises technological costs. Quadruped robots cost tens of thousands of dollars and could become easy targets for inexpensive attack drones.
Serbia’s unveiling of killer quadruped robot technology comes at a time when Belgrade is increasingly incorporating advanced Chinese weapons systems into its military arsenal, including missile systems and aerial drones. Nearly 60 percent of Serbia’s arms imports between 2020 and 2024 came from China.
Both the European Union and the United States have indicated growing concerns about what Beijing and Belgrade describe as a “steel friendship.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Radio Free Europe’s Balkan Service that “Serbia’s future economic opportunities will depend to a large extent on the investments, policy decisions and partnership choices it makes today.”
The spokesperson further urged Belgrade to choose “trusted sources and suppliers of artificial intelligence equipment and technology” and to select “trusted partners, such as the United States.”
Keller said Serbia’s public display of killer quadruped robots may have more to do with geopolitical perception than with actual battlefield strategy.
“Mid-level leaders often highlight advanced weapons to signal technological capabilities, even when these systems are not always supported by established tactics and doctrine, which are the foundation of real-world operations,” he said.
