The Colossus, a firefighting robot manufactured by France’s Shark Robotics has arrived in Ukraine. The system came to light in 2019 when Parisian firefighters used it to extinguish the blaze at the Notre Dame Cathedral. The first 40 robots are deployed in Ukraine.
We sat down with Cyrille Kabbara, CEO of Shark Robotics who came to Ukraine to mark the supply of 40 Colossus robots financed by France. The systems are used in daily rescue operations after aerial attacks, contributing to Ukraine’s resilience. This is an abridged, translated version of the conversation that is also available as a podcast and text in French.
Hello, Cyrille. You are the CEO of the French startup Shark Robotics specializing in firefighting robots that save people from fires and help firefighters combat flames.
Before we speak about robots, let me say that we are in the center of Kyiv, the capital of a country in war since 2014, living through the full-scale invasion since 2022. You were in the military for nine years. My first question is, how this military experience, which is of great interest to the Ukrainians, has formed you?
That’s true. Before founding Shark Robotics in 2016, I served in the French Armed Forces for nine years and took part in several [overseas] missions, notably in Afghanistan and Africa.
During these operational missions I had a chance to see demining robots in action and note how efficient robotic systems can be, primarily in saving the lives of women and men who are on dangerous missions every day.
The war in Ukraine has considerably evolved since 2022, being more and more shaped by remotely operated weapons, particularly drones, and demining technologies. What stirred your interest in robots that are not military, but civilian systems and are used by firefighters?
The idea was to preserve a fundamental principle that is part of Shark Robotics’ DNA — to save lives through technology. It meant copying robotic systems used in the defense sector, particularly in demining operations, and applying them in civilian security, particularly to help firefighters.
The firefighters of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine risk their lives daily. They go on calls every day, notably after Russian strikes. The aim was to give them a multifunctional robotic tool capable of increasing their efficiency on the ground. It would make their intervention safe when they locate victims or extinguish fires while trying to avoid “double tap” strikes.
As you know, Russian forces strike a target, wait for rescue teams to come and repeat the attack. The task of robotic systems is to intervene quickly, locate the fire, identify and neutralize hotspots and above all protect the women and men of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
How did you get interested in Ukraine, and when did you decide that these robots have to be used here?
Shark Robotics is a company with a strong focus on exports. We currently employ around 90 people. Since 2016, we have sold more than 200 robots in 25 different countries.
Why Ukraine? First, due to the context. We feel ourselves European and Ukraine is a future member state of the European Union. We saw it as natural to support Ukraine in its European fight that is our fight too.
Second, because we have sent many fire safety robots to Poland and other Eastern European states that have [signed] agreements [with Ukraine] on cooperation and training of firefighters. Ukrainian firefighters were able to discover the robots and see them in action during the training. They could later come to us to work with them, test them and appreciate their numerous advantages at work.
The Colossus is a robot that can be used both in times of peace and war. One of the most well-known cases when it was used was during a fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019. The robot operated inside at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius for ten hours.
Do you learn from experience of Ukrainian firefighters who fight war-time fires caused by drone or missile explosions?
In Ukraine, our robots are used in very particular conditions. They are deployed in times of war, during bombardments and fires that do not result from natural reasons, but are triggered by explosions, airstrikes and sometimes can be used as traps.
The aim remains unchanged — to distance people from danger, protect the operators of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and make them even more efficient in locating victims and extinguishing fires.
The Ukrainian context gives us a very rich experience. The conditions are particular, sometimes our work is jammed. It makes us reinforce and protect our communications. Cybersecurity and [the robot’s] modular structure are also very important.
The Colossus is a 500-kilogram compact robot that fits doorways, climbs stairs, is very dynamic and can be transported in a small truck. The aim is to have the smallest possible logistical footprint. The robot can perform more than 12 tasks.
It can enter a burning building, locate the fire source and quickly extinguish it, evacuate the wounded and carry the equipment, using various modules. It can operate under conditions of a nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical danger.
We tested the robot in an environment that has nuclear risks and high levels of radioactivity, like one around the Zaporizhzhia or Chornobyl nuclear power plants. It can complete inspection tasks and extinguish fires in settings that are extremely dangerous for people.
That’s why the experience of Ukraine’s State Security Service is extremely valuable for us. We want to strengthen the ties in the future and capitalize on the joint experience.
We officially marked the delivery of 40 robots that happened in seven months. The fleet is complete now. The robots are deployed daily.
We’ve received a very positive feedback from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. They told us that the losses decreased three times after they started using the robotic systems.
That’s why we want to strengthen the cooperation. It is important to meet the operational needs in Ukraine’s 23 regions both during wartime and when there’s peace in the future. We want to be firmly present in Ukraine in the long run. There are possibilities to service and in the future produce [the robots] locally.
[Attacks on] energy sites are among today’s most daunting problems. Here in Kyiv, we once again witnessed attacks on the energy infrastructure that sometimes also caused damage to residential neighborhoods. You have mentioned the robots’ efficiency and a threefold decrease in losses among the firefighters. But have you lost robots in Ukraine so far?
No, we have lost no robot. But even if it happens, it won’t be a tragedy. It is always better to lose a robot than a human. Human life will always be more valuable than a machine. This is exactly what these robots are designed for.
We have deployed more than 200 robots in the world. Their advantage is they can rapidly intervene inside buildings. Take a fire in a warehouse, one of the most widespread fire scenarios in Europe, the U.S. and other countries. The risk of roof collapse often emerges in such metal structures 15 minutes later.
The firefighters stay outside and operate a robot remotely. It can locate the fire source and quickly extinguish it. It largely affects operational efficiency as there would be less people and equipment, and even if the roof collapses, [the humans are not affected].
There is also an ecological side to it. The robot consumes 10 times less water than traditional [extinguishing] methods applied by firefighting vehicles. It operates inside with surgical accuracy, offering a better solution than pouring water from the outside, a method that risks destroying the infrastructure, stocks and economic potential of an industrial site.
Our data shows that 80 per cent of companies, ravaged by fire, shut down. Robotic systems contribute to resilience. They help intervene quickly, film the scene, get an overview of what’s happening and protect the responders. It’s about efficiency, resilience, respect to environment and protection of people.
We are getting additional requests from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service to cover all regions. The scale of the needs is wide. That’s why we now work not only through the bilateral French-Ukrainian binary, but also within a European framework, which we call Team Europe.
The aim is to include the robots in the strategy of reconstruction and resilience supported by the European Union that goes in line with its founding principles on civilian security and defense. We are mobilizing European efforts to advance in cooperation and project implementation in Ukraine.
Your startup is considering future production of robots in Ukraine. How much will such a robot cost?
It is still difficult to say exactly. The robot operates like a car — it has different modules and the price depends on a chosen configuration.
What we prioritize beyond the costs is our proximity to the needs of operators of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. They work on the ground and risk every day, their experience is priceless. We have to closely work with them to understand how the robot was useful and which new modules or functions we can develop.
The goal is of course to win the war, but also to solidify future resilience, particularly in the energy sector and civilian security. We want to establish a production site and research and development center in Ukraine to be as close as possible to the ground and be able to use the experience.
In the end, it’s not just internal resilience, but also export potential that will be important to Ukraine. We think that it is possible to establish in Ukraine one of the best robot production centers in the world as part of the French-Ukrainian or European-Ukrainian cooperation. Its products would be exported elsewhere.
How is your dialogue going with Ukrainian partners, including state and other actors? Do you get enough comprehension and support?
Ukraine has a young and dynamic political ecosystem that is fully engaged in military efforts and European affairs. It is a pleasure to work in such environment.
There’s also exceptional entrepreneurial dynamics with numerous startups and a responsive innovation culture. The Ukrainians are able to quickly transform a product that is on a lower level of technological maturity into one on a higher operational level.
A challenge is to establish large-scale industrial production. We would like to capitalize on our joint production with Ukraine, meet local demands and export our products. We would like to apply our experience in structuring production to meet the demand.
In wrapping up, I would like to ask you a more personal question. You were in Ukraine several times, experienced the country, met with the teams on the ground. What are your impressions? Where does the war stand today? What is the outlook for the future?
I would not dare to make forecasts. I am not a diplomat, I just witness the conflict and negotiations.
What impressed me and the team of Shark Robotics most is resilience and courage of the Ukrainians. We have hosted a number of times Ukrainian delegations, including firefighters, to train them. Our teams have visited Ukraine several times.
We were impressed by their ability to continue to smile, remain combat ready, wake up in the morning and move ahead despite a very difficult situation that continues for more than three years. Their resilience is impressive. It’s a true example for us Europeans and the French.
