President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law that grants the Unmanned Systems Forces the status of a separate branch within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This became known from the card of law No. 11507 on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

The text of the law provides for amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. According to it, the Armed Forces now have the following general structure:

• General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Ground Forces, Air Forces, Navy;
• separate branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Special Operations Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Logistics Forces, Support Forces, Medical Forces;
• separate branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Air Assault Forces, Communications and Cyber Security Forces;
• military command and control bodies, formations, military units, higher military educational institutions, military educational units of higher education institutions, institutions and organizations that do not belong to the types and separate branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to MP Iryna Herashchenko, this law is needed to regulate the legal framework.

“The current draft law regulates the regulatory framework for the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch of the Armed Forces, approves staff positions for working with drones, training, systematizing experience, and scaling up production,” she said.

Unmanned Systems Forces

The intention to create a separate branch of the Armed Forces to deal with drones was first announced on February 6, 2024. Then, President Zelensky issued a decree instructing “the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with the involvement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to work out the issue of creating the Unmanned Systems Forces within the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a separate type of force and, based on the results of the work, to submit relevant proposals to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.”

After that, on June 11, 2024, representatives of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense presented the Unmanned Systems Forces in Kyiv.

Vadym Sukharevskyi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was appointed Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces. During the presentation, he said that the introduction of the new structure was a response to the present requirements of the battlefield and was based on modern military experience.

“Today we have shown the whole world that Ukraine has moved away from a conservative approach. Today we have set a precedent. Thus, we are ready to dictate the rules of this war for further success,” noted Sukharevskyi.

Already on June 28, 2024, the President of Ukraine signed a new decree approving the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces within the Armed Forces.

And on September 3, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on the creation of a new separate branch of the Armed Forces – the Unmanned Systems Forces.

The main task of the new forces will be to interact with existing unmanned systems units, support them and strengthen their capabilities. The structure is tasked with providing units with drones, technical support, recruiting and training specialists, cooperation with manufacturers, and planning military operations involving unmanned systems.