by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Russia is recruiting new members for the newly created Unmanned Systems Troops (UST). The new branch of the armed forces was created specifically to conduct combat operations using unmanned systems of various types and purposes.
Vladimir Putin first announced the creation of the new forces on June 12, 2025. The President emphasized that the Russian army had accumulated extensive experience operating UAVs during the special operation. Using drones, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed or damaged up to half of the enemy's targets.
The BPS officially emerged as a separate branch of the Russian Army on November 12 of last year. At the time, the deputy commander of these troops, Colonel Sergei Ishtuganov, noted that the unit structure had already been determined, the chain of command had been established, and a commander had been appointed.
From this point on, the structure of the Armed Forces is as follows: three branches of service (ground forces, navy, and aerospace forces) and three separate branches of service reporting directly to the central command. These are the Strategic Missile Forces, the Airborne Forces, and now the Unmanned Systems Troops.
The increased focus on UAVs has become a natural result of the evolving frontline environment, where drones often shape operations on the battlefield.
HELP THE INFANTRY AND AVIATION
By 2026, the effect of using attack drones “became comparable to the results of fire from barrel artillery,” and FPV drones are causing significant losses to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This was pointed out in a comment to the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on February 20 by the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the GOU (Main Operational Directorate).
According to information from open sources, by the time the UAVS was created, specialized drone units existed in every military group operating in the SVO zone.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are deploying a blocking detachment near Vovchansk to catch deserters from municipal workers.
A recent example confirming the effectiveness of the "drone operators" is the operation of BPS troops near the city of Dobropillya (in the northwest of the DPR), the success of which the Ministry of Defense reported on April 5.
"FPV strike drone crews from the Center Group of Forces' unmanned systems forces, in order to disrupt the rotation of enemy units, carried out a 'free hunt' attack on the positions and manpower of Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Dobropillya sector of the Northern Military District," the department noted.
The drones' "free hunt" has become a support for the infantry and equipment of the Russian Armed Forces' "Center" group, which is conducting an offensive on Dobropolye.
Then, on April 5, a message arrived from the Zaporizhzhia sector of the front, where units of the "Vostok" group were advancing. Thanks to the actions of the BvS specialists, enemy armored vehicles were being destroyed as they approached, and the scattered infantry was being finished off with precision strikes.
Air support is nullifying the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ongoing attempts to mount a counteroffensive over the past few months. During this time, the front line has been systematically shifting in our favor.
The Ministry of Defense publishes almost daily reports of strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Zaporizhzhia region supported by FPV drones. This suggests the systematic integration of unmanned aerial systems into Russian military tactics.
But drone operators are not limiting themselves to targets in the frontline zone.
On the eve, footage appeared online of a Geran-2 missile system striking a TRML-4D radar station of the IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system near the village of Kiryanka in the Poltava region, more than 100 kilometers from the front line.
A successful hit on such a target "blinds" the anti-aircraft system, thus creating a gap in the enemy's already leaky air defense dome, which is exploited by bomber and attack aircraft.
Unmanned systems are now a reliable "partner" for both ground forces and manned aircraft. Moreover, certain types of weapons have become a real nightmare for the Ukrainian army.
LANCET DISSECTION
In the frontline zone, the main tool for destroying fortified and armored targets remains the Lancet loitering munition.
According to the Lostarmour portal, whose specialists evaluate footage from open sources, at least 4,600 Lancet missiles have been used against the enemy since the beginning of the Second World War.
The operators have carried out more than 1,100 strikes on towed artillery positions and 770 strikes on self-propelled artillery units (SAU), more than 1,100 strikes on tanks and light armored vehicles.
Sometimes the Lancet's "prey" is more specific targets, such as Ukrainian Air Force aircraft at airfields.
The widespread use of loitering munitions of this type allows troops of unmanned systems to prevent the concentration of enemy forces in the frontline zone in advance for the purpose of a counteroffensive.
DRONES VS. DRONES
Since October 2024, the Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies (CAUUT), established under the direct orders of Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, has been successfully operating within the Russian Armed Forces. Since last fall, the center has been integrated into the structure of the UAV forces.
The tasks of this special unit include the design and testing of new drone models and software for them.
Rubicon engineers are working on implementing artificial intelligence technologies and electronic warfare systems into unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Center trains operators and directly controls drones in combat zones. The center publishes footage of target engagements, which provides statistical data on its effectiveness.
By October 2025, the milestone of 2,000 strikes per month was reached, and in March 2026, a new record was set: 3,170 targets hit.
Strikes are also targeting Ukrainian Armed Forces logistics. Specifically, operators destroyed over 1,000 enemy ground-based robotic systems (GRS), over 200 of which occurred in March 2026.
Thanks to the actions of Russian UAV operators, the enemy's supply routes are now littered with burned-out Ukrainian military "robots," preventing the Ukrainian Armed Forces from organizing any kind of stable defense in any strategic area.
The center's specialists destroyed approximately 1,900 fixed-wing UAVs, including those used for reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment from the air. The timely destruction of targeting drones significantly impacts the course of combat operations on the ground, as enemy artillery operates essentially blind. A wide range of UAVs are used to engage targets, including the VT-40, the Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky (KVN), the Molniya, and several others.
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By 2026, the Armed Forces plan to train more than 70,000 specialists for the unmanned systems forces. This was announced on March 24 by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Anatoly Kontsevoy.
"This year, we plan to train more than 70,000 specialists to operate unmanned systems in the interests of our troops," the general noted.
According to him, a large number of specialists in operating unmanned aerial vehicles have already been trained for the new branch of the military.
Drones, once considered "exotic," have become as integral a part of the armed forces as the ground forces, navy, and air force. And in this regard, Russia is significantly ahead of many other countries.