A few months after Ukraine set up the world's first dedicated military branch that employs unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based robotic systems, and marine surface and underwater drones to carry out various defence tasks, Russia has announced the formation of a similar task force.
Colonel Sergey Ishtuganov, deputy head of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said the force is now fully operational.
The decision to form the unit follows a directive by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Combining advanced technologies with modern asymmetric warfare strategies, these forces are expected to employ unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and underwater drones for reconnaissance, strike, logistics, and other operational roles.
‘The Unmanned Systems Forces of the Russian Armed Forces have been established. The structure of this new branch of the armed forces has been determined, the head of the Unmanned Systems Forces has been appointed, and military administration units have been created at all levels,’ news agency TASS quoted him as saying.
According to him, the combat work of the forces is being carried out following a single plan and in cooperation with other units in the battle groups.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov had, in December, said it was possible to finalise the creation of the unmanned systems forces by the third quarter of 2025.
According to Ukraine's defence ministry, ‘The Unmanned Systems Forces are able to carry out combat operations on the battlefield and operate at strategic depths, eliminating the enemy hundreds of kilometers away from the front lines.’
