Russia’s Unmanned Systems Forces Become Wildcard In Moscow’s Military Modernization – Analysis

Hlib Parfonov

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Russia’s Ministry of Defense has moved to formalize the country’s rapidly expanding drone capabilities under a newly established branch of the armed forces—the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) (Войска Беспилотных Систем; Войска беспилотных систем (ВБпС)) (Komsomol’skaya Pravda, November 12, 2025; RBC, November 28, 2025). The creation of this independent branch reflects a broader doctrinal shift driven by the demonstrated battlefield utility of first-person-view (FPV) drones, multirotor copter-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and fixed-wing platforms during the ongoing war against Ukraine. The move also mirrors parallel organizational steps taken by Kyiv, signaling that both belligerents now view dedicated drone formations as a permanent feature of modern combined-arms warfare.

On March 1, 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense formally established the Headquarters (HQ) of the Chief of the Unmanned Systems Forces (Upravleniye nachalnika voysk BpS; Управление начальника воиск ВпС). This decision was made to direct the inter-service development, equipping, training, and employment of USF across the armed forces. Simultaneously, a Military-Scientific Committee for Unmanned Systems was suggested to provide scientific and technical guidance on unmanned air, ground, and maritime platforms throughout their lifecycle—from development through retirement (TASS, November 13, 2025).