The Russian army command is rapidly establishing drone forces, according to ISW.
The command of the Armed Forces of Russia has initiated the active establishment of drone units. However, the success of these efforts will depend on the willingness to implement necessary reforms and the availability of required resources.
This information is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report notes that the Russian military has likely formed a separate drone regiment at the level of the military district to enhance the capabilities of unmanned systems. The formation of this regiment supports the recent coordinated efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defense to create Drone Forces within the Russian Armed Forces and to centralize control over informal drone units.
The Ukrainian volunteer project for drone management training, Victory Drones, preliminarily reported in April 2024 that the Russian military command is completing the establishment of the 7th separate reconnaissance and strike drone regiment within the Central Military District. The regiment comprises 1,342 servicemen and, as of April 2024, was staffed at 94% capacity.
Victory Drones highlighted that the regiment is training at the Russian 473rd District Training Center and consists of command personnel, a strike drone battalion, three reconnaissance-strike drone battalions, and logistical support units such as communications, medical, and repair units.
The project noted that the Russian army command plans to form 102 subordinate units within the 7th separate assault aviation regiment of reconnaissance drone complexes, of which 41 will be strike units and 61 reconnaissance units.
Several Russian volunteer groups have launched crowdfunding for the 7th separate assault reconnaissance drone regiment starting July 2024. This regiment operates in the occupied areas of the Zaporizhia region.
When Will the Formation of the Drone Army Be Completed
Russian military bloggers observed throughout the fall of 2024 that the Russian Ministry of Defense began reorganizing informal drone units and other specialists such as signalers, medics, and engineers into "combined technical battalions."
"The Ministry of Defense of Russia also announced that by October 2024, it has formed an unspecified number of drone units through the Center for Advanced Drone Technologies 'Rubicon' and announced the formation of five more drone units," the ISW report states.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov subsequently declared that the ministry will complete the formation of drone forces within the Russian Armed Forces in the third quarter of 2025.
According to military analyst Konrad Muzyka, recent organizational changes in the Russian Armed Forces and the formation of drone units indicate that similar regiments may emerge in other military districts in the future.
"Russian troops are likely to gain enhanced drone support capabilities if the Russian Ministry of Defense successfully establishes these new drone regiments and centralizes its procurement efforts for drone forces. At the same time, the success of these efforts will depend on the commitment of the RF Armed Forces to implement necessary reforms and the availability of resources," the Institute for the Study of War concludes.
The ISW report also quoted Nikolai Patrushev, assistant to the President of Russia and former Secretary of the Security Council. He mentioned the work of an unspecified Russian Navy center on creating new types of naval drones that will utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Russia's Efforts in the War Against Ukraine
According to ISW, the Russian government is strengthening air defense forces to protect industrial facilities in border regions from attacks by Ukrainian UAVs.
It was previously reported that Iran may supply Russia with weapons to counter Ukrainian naval drones.