The so-called Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Andrey Belousov, announced at one of the meetings of the defense ministry's board plans to establish a new branch of the military—specifically, unmanned systems forces. The creation of this new structure is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year. Meanwhile, the so-called President of Russia, Putin, emphasized the need to increase the production of drones and to expand the training of drone operators based on combat experience.
At the same time, Belousov noted in his report that as of today, Russia operates over 3,500 drones on the battlefield daily (it is impossible to independently verify this figure). He stated that the main task now is to work on improving the tactical and technical characteristics of this weaponry, highlighting three primary areas: range, flight duration, and resilience in conditions where electronic warfare systems are deployed.
As the Russians themselves point out, the creation of this new branch of the military involves developing a "theory and practice of training for conducting operational-scale combat operations." Overall, it appears that Russia plans to establish this new structure not just on paper, but taking into account all specifics and needs, including the training of personnel and the reorganization of various training programs, etc. How this will all work in practice is another story.
In Russia, there is a critical need for the formation of separate units for unmanned systems (currently, it seems, primarily focused on the aerial component), along with the necessary infrastructure and support. Specifically, the establishment of separate divisions is being considered, while the unmanned systems units will be integrated into the ground forces and air forces, similar to air defense units.
Additionally, Russian experts emphasize the need for strategic reconnaissance drones, directly stating the necessity to replicate the experience of the United States in this area.
It is worth recalling that in February of this year, it was reported that a new branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be created—the Unmanned Systems Forces. In June of this year, a decree was signed to establish the USF of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.