Focus on Drones and Ground Forces; Former Deputy Head of the DIU Explains How Russians Are Modernizing Their Troops

Russia is modernizing its army’s organizational structure based on experience from the Russo-Ukrainian war. The emphasis is on developing unmanned and ground components.

Major General Illia Pavlenko, former deputy head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, announced this at the MITS x Azov Corps: Defense Technology Horizons 2026 conference, which Militarnyi’s reporter attended.

In addition to the Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies and the BARS-SARMAT Special Purpose Center, the enemy has already formed seven regiments, 25 battalions, one division, and three detachments of unmanned systems.

“The total number of personnel is already 87,000. This is the first stage. The second stage is planned for 2026,” Illia Pavlenko shared.

He noted that in 2026, Russia plans to deploy brigades of unmanned systems and reorganize existing units.

“They plan to create one brigade, four regiments, 96 battalions, 2 divisions, and 82 companies of unmanned systems during the second stage this year. They also plan to reorganize the existing BARS-SARMAT center and five regiments under district command into six Unmanned Systems Forces brigades,” Illia Pavlenko said.

He noted that while the Russians previously did not hide the essence of the modernization of their armed forces, they are now doing so covertly.

The recorded changes indicate that the enemy is prioritizing faster, more effective decision-making.

“The advantage will go to those who can make and manage decisions more effectively, avoid fragmentation, and achieve coordination. We saw when we had a set of brigades that the enemy was constantly looking for these ‘seams’; they saw that there were different priorities and different tasks and that it was possible to find a weak spot,” Pavlenko said.

In November 2025, the Russian Federation established a new military branch – unmanned systems forces.

Not just drones: focus on motor rifle divisions

The Russian command is also focusing on reformatting the land component. This involves shifting the focus from developing airborne assault troops, airborne troops, and marines to forming “motor rifle divisions.”

“In other words, they have determined that this mass of people, their ‘meat shields’, are effective and that the infantry has prospects for the next 10 years,” Ilya Pavlenko emphasised.

In addition, he stressed that the strategy for developing the Russian armed forces emphasizes a focus on the European theater of war.

“They will not stop at the so-called ‘special military operation’ because their plans clearly include the task of ending Ukraine’s existence as a state. Their entire strategy for developing the Armed Forces indicates they will not stop and that their main enemy is NATO. After their failures in Syria, they have focused on the European theater, and they will go further and build up their capabilities,” Pavlenko added.

Major General Ilya Pavlenko also emphasized that Russia entered the 2022 Great War using battalion tactical groups. Since they were unable to act effectively and were defeated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, the enemy eventually switched to the Soviet regimental-divisional system. The enemy is now focusing on developing its infantry component and command systems.