(Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that drones have played a critical role in the ongoing war in Ukraine and announced plans to rapidly establish a dedicated drone division within the country’s military.
“We are in the process of creating a separate branch of the armed forces focused on unmanned systems, and we must ensure their swift and effective development and deployment,” Putin stated at a meeting on weapons advancement, according to Russian news outlets.
Drones have been a key element on both sides of the war, which began over three years ago between Russia and Ukraine. Since the conflict started in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has emphasized the need to build a strong domestic drone manufacturing sector.
On the second day of the meeting, Putin remarked that Russia is closely monitoring how Ukraine is handling drone warfare.
“Overall, I don’t think we’re falling behind,” he said. “In fact, I believe we are gaining valuable experience that will help us build such forces effectively.”
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov first suggested creating a specialized drone unit in late 2023, setting a goal to have it operational by the third quarter of 2025.
Putin also highlighted the importance of air defense systems, claiming they have destroyed over 80,000 aerial targets during the conflict, which Russia still refers to as a “special military operation.”
He said the upcoming state armament plan must include the creation of a flexible and capable air defense network that can perform effectively under any conditions and intercept all types of airborne threats.
During the opening day of the conference, Putin also emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong nuclear triad, consisting of land-, sea-, and air-based strategic weapons.
