Lithuania on Monday launched the fourth annual RADAROM! fundraising campaign, calling on the public to donate for robotic units to support Ukraine’s armed forces as the war enters its fourth year.

Public broadcaster LRT, together with organizations Blue/Yellow, Laisvės TV, and Stiprūs Kartu, is spearheading the initiative, which this year focuses on raising funds for robotic systems capable of operating in frontline areas too dangerous or inaccessible for soldiers.

The funds will be used to purchase robotic defense and medical evacuation systems for Ukrainian troops, including tracked ground robots that can be fitted with machine-gun turrets equipped with artificial intelligence-based target detection and recognition, electronic warfare and reconnaissance tools, evacuation and logistics robots, battlefield reconnaissance and command platforms, long-range drones and hostile drone interceptors.

The cost of a fully equipped robotic unit is up to 250.000 euros. On the first day, local telco giant joined the campaign by donating 100.000 euros.

LRT Director General Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė thanked businesses and residents for their continued support, noting that donations come from across society.

“People know this campaign – we have repeatedly seen cases where children and seniors donate,” Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė said. She encouraged businesses to contribute, saying significant sums are difficult to raise without corporate support, and urged interested companies to contact the campaign’s organizers.

Jonas Ohman, head of Blue/Yellow, said Lithuania will purchase robotic units capable of operating both on the ground and in the air, reflecting how warfare has evolved.

“The open phase of the war is now in its fourth year. Every day we work with units and soldiers and see a clear trend – war is becoming increasingly robotic,” Ohman said. “Robots perform a wide range of functions, from evacuation and logistics to combat operations.”

Ohman said helping Ukraine acquire robotic units not only provides direct support but also helps Lithuania better understand modern warfare as it unfolds nearby.

“We live next to a very dangerous war. We have to prepare and understand what is happening there and how we can contribute,” he said.

According to Ohman, the robotic units purchased by Lithuania are tailored to the needs expressed by the Ukrainian military and can be used for medical evacuation, logistics and combat. He said robots are already playing an active role on the front lines, including evacuating wounded soldiers from areas that cannot be reached safely by humans.

“The front line today has become a line of death, where it is extremely difficult to move safely, so a robot becomes the solution,” Ohman said, adding that Ukraine places a high value on human life.

Stiprūs Kartu head Edmundas Jakilaitis said robotic systems can operate autonomously, deliver or retrieve supplies from frontline positions and be equipped with weapon systems such as machine guns.

“In high-risk positions, instead of a machine gunner, the weapon is operated by a robot, controlled remotely from a safe location,” Jakilaitis said. “This saves lives.”

Jakilaitis rejected the notion of donor fatigue, saying Lithuanians understand the cost of freedom.

“If they are fighting and the end of the war is not in sight – at least not in the near future – they are buying us time,” he said.

The RADAROM! campaign will run from February 9 through February 24.