Unmanned Systems Forces (Ukraine)

The Unmanned Systems Forces (abbr. USF, Ukrainian: Сили безпілотних систем, СБС, romanized: Syly bezpilotnykh system, SBS) is a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukraine is the first country to have a separate branch of its military dedicated to Unmanned Systems. The USF was formally established on 11 June 2024, in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The USF conducts drone warfare using unmanned military robots on land, sea, and air. The USF does not command or control all Ukrainian drones. The Navy (including the Marines) and the Air Force control their own drone units, as do most of the brigades and units in the various land-based forces (Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, National Guard, Special Forces, Intelligence Forces, etc) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On 6 February 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree instructing the Government of Ukraine and the General Staff to create a separate branch of the Armed Forces dedicated to unmanned systems, after which the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine would consider the issue.

USF serviceman at a military training

On 10 February, it was announced that Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky had become deputy of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and would be responsible for the implementation of unmanned systems. Since the start of the fullscale Russian invasion, Sukharevsky was a commander of 59th Motorized Brigade.

Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi – his focus is on unmanned systems and the development of utilization of drones by our soldiers, and Colonel Andriy Lebedenko – his focus is on innovation, specifically the technology component of the army and combat systems – have been appointed deputies of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Clear practice with new technologies is needed. There are more than enough theories; everything must work in practice for the sake of Ukrainian goals and the maximum preservation of the lives of our soldiers.

On 7 May, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported a draft decree developed by the Ministry of Defense and General Staff to formally establish the Unmanned Systems Forces.

On 10 June, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence announced that Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky was appointed commander of the UAV Forces.

On 11 June, the force was formally established. The main mission of the USF according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is centered around "gathering experience, disseminating knowledge, and formalizing these insights into statutes and tactical and operational guidelines" for the Armed Forces.

On 23 October 2024, the chief of staff of the forces, Roman Hladkyi, was dismissed from his position.

According to the CSIS, the USF maintains close contact with 90% of the domestic drone manufacturers, testing new systems and providing feedback to the developers while training drone operators for combat. The CSIS also reported that as of November 2024, the USF integrated more than 170 different unmanned systems.

The 59th Motorized Brigade was reformed as the 59th Separate Assault Brigade and transferred to the Unmanned Systems Forces in January 2025. On 5 January 2025, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi stated that the USF began deploying fiber-optic controlled drones in response to the Russians making use of them. Syrskyi also mentioned an increase in the number of brigades equipped with enhanced drones and that the Armed Forces were on the final stages of organizing a dedicated unmanned systems brigade.

In 12 November 2025, Russia estabilished its own Unmanned Systems Forces.

USF member testing a "Vampire" UCAV

The Unmanned Systems Forces has claimed to have better quality drones than the Russian Armed Forces, despite Russia having six times the quantity.

As of June 2024, around 3,000 soldiers were reported to be in the USF.

On 14 January 2025, Ukraine attacked Russian chemical factories and energy infrastructure in Bryansk, Saratov, and Tula Oblasts and the Republic of Tatarstan with missiles. The USF claimed that "drones successfully distracted Russian air defences, paving the way for missiles that hit the main targets."

In the late night of 28 January or the early morning of 29 January 2025, the 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment launched a strike on a pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline along the Russian-Belarusian border in Bryansk Oblast reportedly using drones capable of dropping bombs on their targets. According to Defense Express, these drones carry a FAB-250 M-54 high-explosive bomb on their underbellies and feature an optical sighting system for precision strikes. On 31 January 2025, the Unmanned System Forces confirmed the use of drones carrying 250 kg (550 lb) aerial bombs. According to the USF Command, these drones are capable of "reaching up to 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) with the possibility of return. This is a unique development that changes the rules of the game on the battlefield."

First announced in December 2024, on 13 April 2025, the Unmanned Systems Forces released the first footage of a laser weapon system, called “Tryzub”, in use destroying a fibre optic FPV drone.

On 9 July 2025, Ukrainian C-in-C Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that the Unmanned Systems Forces had struck 19,600 targets (one-third of all targets hit) and destroyed 5,024 in June 2025 alone. He also claimed that the USF had killed or wounded 4,500 on Russian forces, of whom 2,548 had been killed.

On 8 August 2025, Syrskyi claimed that the Unmanned Systems Forces' drones hit 23,400 Russian targets and killed 5,134 enemy personnel in July 2025.

As of December 2025, USF drone operators were flying 100,000 to 120,000 sorties a month and had launched combined drone attacks against Russian energy-related targets at least 225 times, effectively reducing Russian national oil processing capacity by about 20%.

On 6 January 2026, Ukrainian CinC General Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that in December 2025, Ukrainian drones killed 33,000 Russian soldiers. He also claimed this was the first month Russian losses exceeded Russian recruitment. He further claimed that the “figure includes only cases confirmed by video footage, while actual losses are likely higher.” Currently the USF comprises just “2.2%” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with plans of expansion. General Syrskyi claimed Russian drone forces numbered at “80,000 personnel, with plans to expand them to 165,500 in 2026 and nearly 210,000 by 2030.

Drone Line

In 2025 a new command-within-a-command was formed, when five of the most effective, of the then twelve main combat units, were grouped together as the Drone Line. Four of these units were: 20th UAV Brigade ('K-2'), 414th UAV Brigade ('Ptahi Madyara' - Birds of Madyar), 427th UAV Brigade ('Rarog') and 429th UAV Bde ('Achilles'). The fifth unit is described as a unit of the State Border Guard Service (DPS), the DPS UAV Regiment ('Feniks' - Phoenix), but which is otherwise presented as a regular component of the autonomous Unmanned Systems Command. Several of the remaining units are engaged in specialist developments, or in offensive operations, which preclude them - entirely or partially - from general air defense duties.

Female soldiers

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are notably conservative regarding female soldiers, reflecting the views of the wider society. However, the innovative field of drone warfare appeals to many female volunteers, and the USF Command is notably supportive of this interest. A wholly - or largely - female unit ('Garpii' - the Harpies) exists with the 9th UAV Brigade, and many more female soldiers serve as individuals in other units in both the central USF command and in the brigade or corps-level UAV units.

Center

• 1st Separate Center, Unmanned Systems Forces

Brigades

• 9th Unmanned Systems Brigade
• 20th Unmanned Systems Brigade
• 59th Assault Brigade
• 412nd Unmanned Systems Brigade
• 414th Unmanned Strike Aviation Brigade
• 427th Unmanned Systems Brigade
• 429th Unmanned Systems Brigade

Regiments

• 411st Unmanned Systems Regiment
• 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment

Battalions

• 424th Unmanned Systems Battalion

• Flying Skull Battalion

• 93rd Support Battalion

• 230th Logistics Battalion

• 190th Training Center

• 6th Recruitment Center

• Unmanned Systems Forces (Russia)

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (11 February 2025). "Chapter Four: Russia and Eurasia". The Military Balance. 125 (1). Taylor & Francis: 152–205. doi:10.1080/04597222.2025.2445476.

• Sekirin, Illya (2026). Andrew Simms (ed.). Rise of the Machines. Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, Strategy. Helion & Company. ISBN 9781804519707.

• Сайт Президента України

• Сайт Міністерства оборони України

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