On October 26, Ukrainian engineer Bogdan Zmy died tragically. He was the founder and head of the company "

Sheptytsia City Council reported this. His death was a heavy loss for Ukrainian defense engineering. It was under his leadership that equipment appeared that helps save lives at the front and in the territories liberated from Russian occupation.. Bogdan Zmy made a significant contribution to strengthening the defense capability of Ukraine during the Russian-Ukrainian war. “Under his leadership, innovative equipment was created that saved the lives of military sappers and civilians, helping to clear liberated territories from explosive objects,” the statement said..

Zmyi's developments have become a symbol of Ukrainian ingenuity, perseverance and desire for life.

" We express our sincere condolences to Bogdan’s family, friends and colleagues,” the city council noted.

Robotic mine clearing machine " The initiators of the project were three co-founders - Bogdan Zmy, Boris Drozhak and Vasily Korenevsky, who implemented the idea at the request of the military.

The design of the vehicle combines flank wheels and an impact chain, which allows it to overcome swamps and off-road conditions and withstand explosions of various types of mines. In addition to the deminer itself, as part of the project, a logistics robot was produced to accompany and service vehicles on the battlefield.

The developers, in a commentary to Suspilne Lviv, explained that the Serpent creates a “new subclass of mine clearers” and fills the niche between large machines and the manual work of sappers. According to the co-founders, an experienced operator on the “Snake” can process from 0.7 to 2 hectares on the move, and in favorable conditions – even more.

The vehicle operates in conditions of low and medium vegetation, is capable of destroying anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and removing tripwires. The design provides for the quick replacement of damaged components after explosions, which allows the “Snake” to be quickly returned to the field.

" The operator controls the machine remotely - with a remote control similar to that of FPV drones, at a distance of up to 2.9 km. The design uses a chain with an impact part, designed to initiate the explosion of mines at a given distance from the body. According to the developers, the vehicle can withstand explosions, including more powerful ones - tank mines with high armor-piercing power.

The developers noted that manual demining is a long and traumatic process, while the “Snake” reduces clearance time: a 300-meter strip, which previously took several days, can be processed by the machine in tens of minutes. Almost 20 such machines are already working on the front line, the Ministry of Economy reported..

At the same time, the founders planned to expand production and scale up the production of Zmiev to meet the needs of units on large sections of the front.

The cost of one deminer in a set for troops is approximately from 15 to 25 thousand dollars. Other sources within the project indicated a range from approximately 14.5 to almost 20 thousand dollars, depending on the configuration, and after mass production is established, the price may decrease.

The vehicle was tested and received a certificate of conformity; certification was carried out by specialists from the State Research Institute for Testing and Certification of Weapons and Military Equipment. Deputy Minister of Economy Igor Bezkaravayny called “Snake” a unique solution for Ukrainian conditions. “In fact, we have received a new subclass of a mine clearance vehicle that can clear fields of fragmentation and high-explosive ammunition, from which sappers suffer the most. And the ability to quickly change components that may be damaged by anti-tank mine explosions allows you to quickly return the vehicle to the field,” said Bezkaravayny.