Russia Establishes Dedicated Drone Warfare Unit Amid Ukraine Conflict
Moscow – Russia has launched a new military branch, the โUnmanned Systems โForceโฃ (USF), dedicated to the growth and deployment ofโ drone technology, โคsignalingโ a notable escalation in its focus on unmanned warfare. The unit’s formation, mandated by President Vladimirโ Putin inโ Decemberโค 2024, comes as both sides inโ the ongoing conflict with Ukraine increasingly rely on drones for reconnaissance, targeting,โฃ and attack.
The USF aims to optimize drone operations and maintainโฃ a leading edge in rapidly evolvingโฃ drone technology. โBeyond battlefield deployment, the force willโ actively testโ unmanned aerial โคvehicles (UAVs) โคand electronic warfare systems in โcollaboration with manufacturers. This move acknowledgesโข reported shortcomings in Russia’s current drone capabilitiesโ and seeks to address โคissues like โฃineffective โdeployment strategiesโข and inadequate operator equipment,โ asโฃ highlightedโ by Russianโ military โobservers.
According โขto โขLt.โ col. โฃSergei Ishtuganov, head of the USF, recruitment will prioritize highly qualifiedโ military โpersonnel with proven combatโฃ experience. The creation โof โฃthe USFโ reflects a broaderโฃ recognition of the critical role drones play in modern warfare, and represents an โeffort to bolsterโข Russia’s capabilities in this domain as the conflictโค in Ukraine continues toโ drive innovation and demand for unmanned systems.