ISW analyzed the impact of establishing a separate drone service on the Russian military.

Analysts are skeptical about the establishment of a separate unmanned systems service in the Russian army. In particular, this could reduce interaction among the various branches of the Russian military.

This is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

According to analysts, the Russian Ministry of Defense continues to ramp up efforts to create Unmanned Systems Forces following the official directive from Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to establish a new branch of the military.

It is already known that the Technical Council of the Russian Ministry of Defense has allowed small independent drone manufacturers and civilian drone producers in Russia to create over 65 new variants and systems of drones, including:

• three reconnaissance drones;
• eight unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs);
• two electronic reconnaissance systems;
• 20 electronic warfare systems and four types of unmanned boats.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that these manufacturers produce up to 40,000 drones and 5,000 electronic warfare units per month.

"The Russian Ministry of Defense has described the Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate unit, which aligns with Putin's previous description and indicates that the Unmanned Systems Forces will likely centralize control over Russian drone operators under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense, rather than through Russian ground commanders," the report states.

Therefore, ISW continues to assess that "this reorganization may impact the Russian tactical reconnaissance-strike complex and reduce interaction between assault drones and artillery."

As reported by RBK-Ukraine at the end of November, Russian military officials are considering the possibility of creating a separate unmanned systems service. Thus, the Russian Ministry of Defense is attempting to catch up with the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces established in February 2024.

It is worth noting that in early September, the Verkhovna Rada adopted amendments to the law "On the Armed Forces of Ukraine". A separate branch of the military was created within the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the Unmanned Systems Forces. By mid-September, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law that included the Unmanned Systems Forces as a distinct branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.