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Russia has announced the creation of a new branch within its Armed Forces designed to centralise the production, operation, testing and employment doctrine of unmanned systems. The new structure, named the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), is already operational and has regiments, battalions and other deployed units.
As Colonel Sergey Ishtuganov, deputy commander of the USF, explained, “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 command units have been created at all levels”. He added that the units “are conducting combat work under a single plan and in co-operation with other units in the battle groups”.
The decision to set up this branch had been flagged earlier by Russia’s Defence Minister, Andrey Belousov, in December 2024. At the time, he indicated the process could be completed by the third quarter of 2025. The move follows direct instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A structure designed for a drone-dominated battlefield
The establishment of the USF mirrors a model adopted by Ukraine in 2024, using the same name. Its remit covers aerial, ground and surface drones, with the aim of bringing resource management, tactics and technology under one roof in an environment where unmanned systems have become central to operations.
Ishtuganov confirmed that “regiments, battalions and other units have already been formed. Their combat operations are carried out in accordance with a unified plan and in co-ordination with other units of the troop groups”. He also described the integration of operators, engineers, technicians and other support specialists.
According to the officer, the new set-up is showing results in areas such as Pokrovsk, where the presence of Russian drones has been shaping operations. “Have you noticed what the enemy complains about most when it is pinned down in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration? Drones”, he said. He added that, compared with a year ago, Russian units have significantly increased their availability of unmanned systems.
Beyond combat employment, the USF is also running trials of drones and electronic warfare systems in collaboration with Russian industry. Ishtuganov noted that protective measures and countermeasures evolve rapidly: “The enemy plays with the frequencies; we reconfigure our electronic warfare systems. The enemy starts suppressing us with electronic warfare; we switch to other frequencies. And this is a continuous process”.
Drone production and supply
Russia says it will ramp up production of unmanned systems. Among the initiatives announced are a factory said to be capable of producing 6,000 Shahed-type drones per month and an annual plan to manufacture 2 million FPV drones. Moscow also receives assistance from China in the supply of components.
Even so, various Russian voices have pointed to current constraints. The Telegram channel Forces Group “Zapad” argued that “in combat conditions, losing a drone is very easy, and if there is a strict limit on the number of drones, capabilities are constrained”. It also highlighted shortages of night-capable units and platforms similar to Baba Yaga drones.
On tactical employment, the channel cautioned: “Drone operators should not be sent in as assault troops, as some commanders do. Otherwise, the whole process loses its point”. It added that the intention is for the new USF to help solve deployment and resupply problems.
Western analysts share some of these assessments. Samuel Bendett, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses, said that “there are currently no official standards for much of the tactical development and use of drones in the Russian army”. He also pointed to challenges in supply and the availability of trained pilots.
Reactions from Ukraine
Ukraine, which has built its own branch dedicated to unmanned systems, views the Russian decision as an additional challenge. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated: “I heard a detailed intelligence report on the development of the enemy’s unmanned forces. The occupiers are following our experience… and are allocating significant resources to it”.
Meanwhile, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, said that “they copied our successful solutions”. According to him, the creation of strike UAV companies in 2023 had given Ukraine advantages, but Russia is now seeking to expand those capabilities.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
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