Ukraine's Ground Forces establish unmanned systems directorate

Ukraine's Ground Forces have established an unmanned systems directorate led by Colonel Andrii Ostapenko, Novynarnia reported on October 6, citing hromadske's coverage of a conference in Kyiv. The directorate will handle recruitment, development of unmanned systems and training for subordinate units. The cited reports did not specify its creation date.

Ostapenko said the name Drone Forces was an internal Ground Forces brand rather than a separate service or branch of Ukraine's armed forces. It covers unmanned systems in combined-arms brigades, corps-level drone units and ground robotic systems.

He said the units support combined-arms formations through defensive and offensive operations, logistics and support missions. Ostapenko also said they did not compete with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces or duplicate their functions.