Ukrainian Ground Forces Establish Drone Unit

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was reported by a Ukrinform correspondent.

“Our Drone Forces are not a separate, newly formed branch of the military; rather, we have a deeply integrated system within the Ground Forces that includes not just a single UAV or unmanned aerial vehicle, but numerous units and a wide range of assets. And when videos of specific targets being struck appear in the media or on social media, everyone should understand that it wasn't just the operator and the drone that carried out the strike-it's an entire ecosystem. To strike a specific target, you need to train the pilot, plan the mission, and equip that pilot with the necessary resources. And behind every mission stands an entire team of people. That is why we believe that we created the Drone Forces precisely to ensure that it is an integrated system combining all components into a single whole,” emphasized Andrii Ostapenko, head of the Unmanned Systems Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Ground Forces Command.

He added that in many armies around the world, unmanned systems either constitute a separate branch of the military or are part of the Air Force.

“In our Army, however, unmanned systems units are present in all general-purpose units: in all artillery units, as well as in support units and reconnaissance units. In other words, unmanned systems are integrated throughout our forces,” Ostapenko explained, adding that unmanned systems units participate in both defensive and offensive operations and carry out various logistical and support missions, among others.

As event participants noted during the presentation, the Drone Forces-as a new philosophy of modern warfare-originated within the Army itself. It all began with the so-called“wedding drones,” which the infantry first adapted for tactical reconnaissance and improvised airdrops. In a matter of months, this amateur experience transformed into a systematic set of capabilities-from the first airdrops to high-precision, long-range“middle strike” strikes deep into enemy defenses.

“Today, drones on the front lines carry out the lion's share of all combat operations. The numbers speak for themselves: up to 80% of strikes against enemy personnel and 70% of all reconnaissance are carried out by drones. Moreover, drones have taken over up to 90% of frontline logistics and account for half of all evacuations of the wounded from under fire. Drones are no longer an experiment. They have become the foundation of the Army's combat power,” the event participants noted during the presentation.

The Army also noted that modern drones constitute a large-scale two-dimensional ecosystem. A full range of aircraft is in operation in the air-from precision strike FPV drones and heavy bombers to long-range reconnaissance drones and“middle strike” systems. On the ground, drone systems are being deployed across three critical areas: strike platforms for assaults and fire support, logistics platforms for delivering cargo and ammunition, and evacuation drones that extract the wounded from life-threatening zones.

To date, the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have implemented a comprehensive vertical structure: every battalion has a drone company, every brigade has a drone battalion, and every corps has a drone regiment.

“The Army's drone forces are not abstract technologies of the future, but a fully integrated, day-to-day combat component of combat units. They save the lives of our soldiers, enable instant decision-making, and provide absolute technological superiority along every meter of the front line. The Army is setting a new standard for modern warfare, one that the entire world is adopting right now,” the presentation participants emphasized.

During the event, spokespeople from various Army units spoke about their experiences in forming drone forces, as well as the recruitment and training of service members tasked with engaging the enemy using drones.

Read also: Ukraine's Defense Forces strike record number of enemy air-defense systems in September, with maximum range of 552 km

Responding to a question about the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones on the front lines, Ostapenko noted that currently, most tasks previously performed by humans are now carried out by drones and robotic systems. These include the delivery of ammunition and food, medical evacuation, mine laying, and more.

Participants in the event also emphasized that drones and drone systems do not replace humans on the front lines, but they do change the way humans fight battles and wage war.

As reported by Ukrinform, over the past day, on October 5, 184 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded on the front lines, with the highest number occurring in the Pokrovsk direction.

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