Russia Appoints Tsentr Group of Forces Chief of Staff Denis Lyamin Commander of Unmanned Systems Forces

Denis Lyamin, chief of staff of the Tsentr Group of Forces, will head the Russian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces.

TASS reported on this appointment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision during a meeting with Defense Ministry leadership.

“Everyone knows that we have decided to establish a new branch of the armed forces — the Unmanned Systems Forces. We consider Denis Igorevich Lyamin one of the most qualified specialists in this field,” Putin said.

Addressing Lyamin, the Russian president stressed that the new branch of the armed forces is still being formed.

The creation of Russia’s Unmanned Systems Forces was first announced on November 28, 2024, when Putin discussed the plans.

On December 16, 2024, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said the new branch would be established in the third quarter of 2025.

Who Is Denis Lyamin

Denis Igorevich Lyamin is a colonel general in the Russian Armed Forces. Between October 2023 and August 2026, he served as chief of staff of the Tsentr Group of Forces, which is conducting combat operations in the Lyman and Pokrovsk directions. From July to October 2023, he commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army, which operated in the southern direction.

The creation of such a branch in the Russian military may be linked to the successes of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces and large-scale strikes against Russia’s oil refining, logistics, and military infrastructure.