Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has just announced plans to create a new unit of the Russian Armed Forces - the Unmanned Systems Force.
The announcement was made by Defense Minister Andrey Belousov earlier this week during a meeting with top Defense Ministry officials.
Mr. Belousov said the proposal to create a new military unit was made in accordance with President Vladimir Putin's order to increase the use of drone technology on the battlefield.
“If you decide, we will complete the creation of the new unit in the third quarter of next year,” Mr. Belousov told President Putin at the time.
The Russian Defense Minister noted that more than 3,500 drones are being used by the Russian military on the front lines every day and this number continues to grow. In 2024, the supply of drones to the Russian military for various purposes increased 23 times compared to the previous year.
Minister Belousov added that, in general, Russian air defense systems have proven “highly effective” in combat.
Earlier, President Putin ordered to increase the production of drones and train drone operators according to programs based on combat experience.
Mr. Putin has repeatedly stressed the importance of developing drone technology and equipping the Russian military with advanced weapons, including those based on artificial intelligence.
In September this year, the Russian leader announced plans to increase drone production in the country tenfold to nearly 1.4 million units by 2024.
Russia is making progress almost weekly in drone technology, Putin said, noting that the main task is to produce various types of drones and set up mass production lines as quickly as possible.
