Russia will establish a new branch of its military dedicated to unmanned systems, President Vladimir Putin announced on June 12. He made the statement during a meeting on the country’s state armament program.
Putin said that Russia has gained significant experience in the field of unmanned technology. He explained that the new branch will cover personnel training, equipment manufacturing, and the use of modern systems in combat.
The decision comes as both Russia and Ukraine rely more heavily on drones for attacks and surveillance. Unmanned systems now play a key role in military operations, including long-range strikes.
Ukraine created its own Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) in June 2024 to expand and organize its drone activities. Since then, the USF has carried out hundreds of strikes inside Russian territory. It has also worked to add drones into different combat units.
Russia has also increased drone production over the last year. It has launched near-daily attacks on Ukrainian cities using Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 27 that Russia aims to produce up to 500 drones each day. Russian manufacturers are already preparing to produce between 300 and 350 drones daily.
Russia’s drone production is supported by parts imported from China. The workforce includes teenagers and laborers from African countries.
The Kremlin’s decision to create a drone-focused military branch follows Ukraine’s reforms and shows that Russia sees unmanned systems as a key part of modern warfare.
