Unmanned Systems Forces. The Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) () is a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that specializes in drone warfare and the use of unmanned military robots on land, sea, and air. The USF was created in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was formally established on 11 June 2024. Ukraine is the first country to have a branch of its military dedicated to unmanned systems.

History

Formation 
On 6 February 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a  instructing the Government of Ukraine and the General Staff to create a separate branch of the Armed Forces dedicated to unmanned systems, after which the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine would consider the issue.

On 10 February, it was announced that Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky had become deputy of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and would be responsible for the implementation of unmanned systems. Since the start of the fullscale Russian invasion, Sukharevsky was a commander of 59th Motorized Brigade.

On 7 May, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported a draft decree developed by the Ministry of Defense and General Staff to formally establish the Unmanned Systems Forces.

On 10 June, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence announced that Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky was appointed commander of the UAV Forces. 

On 11 June, the force was formally established. The main mission of the USF according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is centered around "gathering experience, disseminating knowledge, and formalizing these insights into statutes and tactical and operational guidelines" for the Armed Forces.   

On 23 October 2024, the chief of staff of the forces, Roman Hladkyi, was dismissed from his position.

According to the CSIS, the USF maintains close contact with 90% of the domestic drone manufacturers, testing new systems and providing feedback to the developers while training drone operators for combat. The CSIS also reported that as of November 2024, the USF integrated more than 170 different unmanned systems.

The 59th Motorized Brigade was reformed as the 59th Separate Assault Brigade and transferred to the Unmanned Systems Forces in January 2025. On 5 January 2025, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi  stated that the USF began deploying fiber-optic controlled drones in response to the Russians making use of them. Syrskyi also mentioned an increase in the number of brigades equipped with enhanced drones and that the Armed Forces were on the final stages of organizing a dedicated unmanned systems brigade.

Operations 
The Unmanned Systems Forces has claimed to have better quality drones than the Russian Armed Forces, despite Russia having six times the quantity.

As of June 2024, around 3,000 soldiers were reported to be in the USF.

On 14 January 2025, Ukraine attacked Russian chemical factories and energy infrastructure in the Bryansk, Saratov, and Tula regions and the Republic of Tatarstan with missiles. The USF claimed that "drones successfully distracted Russian air defences, paving the way for missiles that hit the main targets."

In the late night of 28 January or the early morning of 29 January 2025, the 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment launched a strike on a pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline along the Russian-Belarusian border in Bryansk Oblast reportedly using drones capable of dropping bombs on their targets. According to Defense Express, these drones carry a FAB-250 M-54 high-explosive bomb on their underbellies and feature an optical sighting system for precision strikes. On 31 January 2025, the Unmanned System Forces confirmed the use of drones carrying  aerial bombs. According to the USF Command, these drones are capable of "reaching up to  with the possibility of return. This is a unique development that changes the rules of the game on the battlefield."

Structure 
  14th UAV Regiment
  59th Separate Assault Brigade
  412th UAV Regiment
  413th UAS Battalion
  423rd UAV Battalion
  424th UAV Battalion
  "Flying Skull" Battalion
  93rd Support Battalion

There are other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that specialize in drone warfare, but structurally are not part of the Unmanned Systems Forces:
  383rd UAV Brigade
  385th USV Brigade
  414th Strike UAV Regiment
  419th UAV Battalion
  420th UAV Battalion
  425th UAV Regiment

See also
 
 Typhoon Unit (Ukraine)

References

External links 

 Сайт Президента України
 Сайт Міністерства оборони України
 У Мінцифри розкрили подробиці створення Командування безпілотних систем у ЗСУ// Армія-Інформ, 7 лютого 2024
 Створення Сил безпілотних систем відкриє нові можливості у застосуванні дронів – Міноборони// Укрінформ, 7 лютого 2024 року
 У складі ЗСУ з'являться Сили безпілотних систем – указ Зеленського// Радіо Свобода, 6 лютого 2024 року
 Зеленський ініціював створення Сил безпілотних систем у ЗСУ// DW, 6 лютого 2024 року
 Столтенберг привітав створення Сил безпілотних систем у ЗСУ// Європейська правда, 7 лютого 2024 року

Uncrewed vehicles
 
Military units and formations established in 2024