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Russia establishes Unmanned Systems Forces

The structure of this new branch of the armed forces has been determined, the head of the Unmanned Systems Forces has been appointed, military administration units have been created at all levels

MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. Russia has formed a new military branch, the Unmanned Systems Forces, which is already manned and fully operational, Colonel Sergey Ishtuganov, deputy head of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said.

"The Unmanned Systems Forces of the Russian Armed Forces have been established. The structure of this new branch of the armed forces has been determined, the head of the Unmanned Systems Forces has been appointed, military administration units have been created at all levels. Operational regiments and other units have been formed. Combat work of the unmanned systems units is being carried out following a single plan and in cooperation with other units in battlegroups," he said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

In December 2024, at the military agency’s final board meeting, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that it is possible to finalize the creation of a new branch of the armed forces, the unmanned systems forces, as early as in the third quarter of 2025. The new branch is being formed in accordance with instructions by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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