The Unmanned Systems Forces, Ukraine’s new military branch focused on enhancing drone operations, was officially presented to the public on Tuesday, four months after a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy establishing the new force.
“The creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces means we have stopped preparing, we started dictating the rules,” Sucharevsky said during a press conference in Kyiv.
The commander added that despite large quantities of drones being produced in the country, UAVs are still not manufactured in industrial quantities.
He also mentioned the international drone coalition led by Latvia and the United Kingdom that aims to provide Ukraine with UAVs. The coalition includes Latvia, Ukraine, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
In March, Strategic Industries Deputy Minister Hanna Hvozdiar announced that Ukraine has the potential to manufacture up to 2 million drones by the end of 2024. She also confirmed that Ukraine has already surpassed the milestone of producing 1 million drones, a goal set by President Zelenskyy in late December 2023.
Ukraine produced approximately 200,000 FPV drones in January 2024 alone, which are used for reconnaissance and kamikaze missions, demonstrating significant local innovation and cost-effective military solutions.
Drone usage in Ukraine
Ukraine employs a variety of drones in its war against Russia, including domestically produced, imported, and commercially adapted models.
Domestically produced drones include the Aerorozvidka R18 a notable Ukrainian-made octocopter designed for bomblet drops and optimized for night operations with thermal imaging, providing stealth and precision.
Among imported drones, Ukraine brandishes the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, crucial for surveillance and precision strikes, and the American-made Switchblade 300 and 600 used as “kamikaze drones”.
Ukraine also adapts commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series for military use. These drones, initially designed for civilian applications, are now used for reconnaissance, artillery targeting, and dropping small grenades.
