Russia announced the creation of a new branch within its Armed Forces intended to centralize the production, operation, testing, and employment doctrine of unmanned systems. The new structure, called Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), by its English acronym, is already operational and has regiments, battalions, and other deployed units.
According to Colonel Sergey Ishtuganov, deputy commander of the USF, “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 administrative units have been created at all levels.” The officer also noted that the units “are carrying out combat work following a single plan and in cooperation with other units of the battle groups.”
The decision to create this branch was anticipated by the Russian Minister of Defense, Andrey Belousov, in December 2024. On that occasion, he indicated that the process could be completed by the third quarter of 2025. The measure responds to direct instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A structure designed for a drone-dominated battlefield
The creation of the USF mirrors a model adopted by Ukraine in 2024, also under the same name. Its role covers aerial, ground, and surface drones, and seeks to unify the management of resources, tactics, and technologies in a scenario where unmanned systems have become central in 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 coordination with other units of the troop groups.” He also detailed the incorporation of operators, engineers, technicians, and support specialists.
The officer stated that the new structure is showing results in areas such as Pokrovsk, where the presence of Russian drones has influenced operations. “Have you noticed what the enemy complains about most when it is surrounded 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.
In addition to their use in combat, the USF are conducting tests of drones and electronic warfare systems in cooperation with Russian industry. Ishtuganov explained that protection measures and countermeasures change rapidly: “The enemy plays with frequencies; we reconfigure our electronic warfare systems. The enemy begins to suppress us with electronic warfare; we switch to other frequencies. And this is a continuous process.”
Production and supply of drones
Russia stated that it will increase the production of unmanned systems. Among the announced projects are a factory capable of producing 6,000 Shahed-type drones per month and an annual plan for manufacturing 2 million FPV drones. Moscow also receives assistance from China in providing components.
However, different Russian actors have pointed out current limitations. The Telegram channel Forces Group “Zapad” indicated that “in combat conditions, losing a drone is very easy, and if there is a strict limit on the number of drones, capabilities are limited.” It also highlighted the shortage of night units and platforms similar to Baba Yaga drones.
Regarding tactical employment, the channel remarked: “Drone operators should not be sent as assault troops, as some commanders do. Otherwise, the whole process loses its meaning.” It added that the goal is for the new USF to allow deployment and supply issues to be resolved.
Western analysts share part of these observations. Samuel Bendett, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses, stated that “there are no official standards today for much of the tactical development and use of drones in the Russian army.” He also mentioned difficulties in supply and in the availability of trained pilots.
Reactions from Ukraine
Ukraine, which developed its own branch dedicated to unmanned systems, considers that the Russian decision represents an additional challenge. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said: “I heard a detailed intelligence report about the development of the enemy’s unmanned forces. The occupiers are following our experience… and are allocating significant resources to this.”
For his part, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, stated that “they copied our successful solutions.” According to him, the creation of attack UAV companies in 2023 had given advantages to Ukraine, but Russia now seeks to scale those capabilities.
*Images for illustrative purposes only.
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