Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has revealed that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) accounted for 66% of Russian military equipment losses in January.
Syrskyi shared the update following a meeting on the development of Ukraine’s drone and electronic warfare capabilities. He stated that Ukrainian drone strikes hit or destroyed 7% more targets in January compared to December.
“Strike UAVs of various types were responsible for 66% of Russian equipment losses in January,” Syrskyi wrote in a Facebook post. “Overall, our drones hit or destroyed 7% more targets in the reporting month than in December.”
The largest share of the destruction, 49%, was attributed to First-Person View (FPV) drones, which have gained notoriety for their precision and devastating impact.
These drones, often used for targeting key infrastructure and military assets, have proven to be a key weapon in the Ukrainian arsenal.
Syrskyi also commended several Ukrainian units for their contributions to the success of the UAV operations, specifically mentioning the 46th Airmobile Brigade, the 3rd Assault Brigade, and the 80th Air Assault Brigade, which were instrumental in the ongoing efforts.
The commander-in-chief stressed the importance of increasing coordination between UAV units and combined arms units.
He noted that the integration of unmanned systems with ground forces has become a key focus. This approach is expected to further improve the effectiveness of Ukraine’s military operations.
In addition to operational updates, Syrskyi provided insights into the Ukrainian military’s strategic developments, including the reorganization of regiments into UAV-dedicated brigades.
He revealed that the formation of a specialized UAV brigade within the Armed Forces of Ukraine was nearing completion. This move reflects a pivot to maximize the use of unmanned systems on the front lines.
In recent months, Ukraine’s drones have increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure, such as oil refineries and fuel depots, to disrupt supplies to Russian forces. These strikes are part of a wider strategy to weaken Russia’s military logistics and economic resilience during the ongoing conflict.
Russia Plans To Recruit 210,000 Personnel
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also claimed that Russia is actively forming a new branch within its military dedicated to unmanned systems and plans to recruit up to 210,000 personnel for this unit by 2030.
This new force is designed to enhance Russia’s capabilities in unmanned systems, which have become an increasingly important element of modern warfare.
Syrskyi revealed that Russia’s plans include the deployment of these unmanned systems personnel across 277 military units by 2030. Yet, he said that Ukraine currently holds the initiative in unmanned systems.
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has recently provided further insight into the Russian military’s move to create unmanned systems forces.
The report highlighted that the Russian Armed Forces have begun forming these specialized units, but the success of these efforts will hinge on the military’s willingness to carry out necessary reforms and its ability to secure adequate resources.
One of the first steps in this process has likely been the creation of a dedicated unmanned systems regiment at the military district level.
This regiment formation is part of broader efforts by the Russian Ministry of Defense to centralize control over its drone units and related specialists, including engineers, communication officers, and medics.
While the ISW report did not specify an exact timeline for the completion of this new drone army, military bloggers in Russia observed key changes throughout the fall of 2024. During this time, the Russian Ministry of Defense was noted to be reorganizing its informal drone units into formal technical battalions.
This process is seen as an important step toward integrating unmanned systems into the Russian military’s broader strategy. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov indicated that the formation of unmanned systems forces within the Russian military is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2025.
If successful, this initiative will augment Russia’s drone capabilities to allow it to better leverage unmanned systems for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially even combat roles.
However, the success of these efforts will depend largely on the Russian military’s commitment to implementing necessary reforms and securing the resources needed to expand these forces.
In addition to the army’s focus on unmanned systems, Russian officials have also discussed the development of advanced naval drones.
Nikolai Patrushev, a presidential assistant and former Secretary of the Security Council, previously mentioned the work of a Russian Navy center dedicated to the creation of new types of naval drones. These drones are expected to use artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
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