Ukraine Initiates Establishment of Unmanned Systems Forces

Ukraine is set to establish an Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, following a directive issued by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The presidential decree, numbered 51/2024 and titled 'On increasing the Capabilities of the Defense Forces,' has been officially published on the Presidential Office website.

President Zelensky has tasked the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with addressing this matter, involving the participation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The directive specifically orders an exploration of the issues related to establishing the Forces of Unmanned Systems as a distinct branch within the structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The government is expected to submit relevant proposals to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine after a thorough analysis of the matter. President Zelensky confirmed the initiation of this creation process with the signing of the decree, emphasizing the need for a separate branch dedicated to Unmanned Systems Forces within the Defense Forces.

The President outlined a clear set of tasks associated with this new branch, including the creation of special job positions for working with drones, the establishment of special units, effective training protocols, systematization of experience, continuous scaling of production, and the engagement of top specialists in the field to contribute their ideas.

To ensure proper coordination in the Defense Forces and maintain a high level of planning and logistics quality, the Unmanned Systems Forces will be integrated into the structure of the Armed Forces.

The structure will also incorporate naval unmanned systems forces, which have recently played a significant role in altering the security situation in the Black Sea by destroying a Russian corvette with naval strike drones.