On February 6, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy singed Decree No. 51/2024 "On Increasing the Capabilities of the Defense Forces," which provides creation of a new separate branch of forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the Unmanned Systems Forces.
The emergence of this structure is associated with increasing the capabilities of the Armed Forces "to use unmanned and robotic aerial, navy and ground systems, ensuring readiness to use such systems for their purpose."
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The Goverment of Ukraine along with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were instructed to work on the creation of the new structure. After that proposals will be considered by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).
Zelenskyy noted that unmanned systems have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea. In particular, thanks to the drones Ukraine has truly changed the security situation in the Black Sea.
FPV drones help to repel russian assaults while the Defenders of Ukraine feel lack of artillery ammunition, as well as reconnaissance drones help make the best use of high-precision weapons. In addition, the use of ground-based robotic systems to perform certain tasks is gaining momentum.
The President of Ukraine noted that there is a list of tasks to create a new structure in the Armed Forces, such as: creation of special staff positions for drone operations, special units, effective training, systematization of experience, constant scaling of production, and the involvement of the best ideas and top specialists in this field.
"This is a task for the army, the Ministry of Defense, and the government as a whole. And to ensure the necessary coordination in the Defense Forces, to ensure the proper level of planning and quality of logistics, the Unmanned Systems Forces will be established within the AFU. The relevant proposals will be submitted for consideration by the NSDC," Zelensky said.
Earlier Defense Express reported russia had wanted to sell jet-powered Shahed drones abroad $1.4 million per unit.
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