Russia creates separate regiments of unmanned systems to strengthen its army
Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
Details: ISW reported that a new unit, the 7th Separate Unmanned Systems Reconnaissance Strike Regiment, was formed within Russia's Central Military District. It had 1,342 personnel and was 94% staffed as of April 2024. Personnel training is conducted at Russia's 473rd District Training Centre.
The regiment's structure includes a command staff, a strike drone battalion, three reconnaissance and strike battalions and logistical support units, including communications, medical and repair divisions. A total of 102 subordinate units are planned: 41 strike and 61 reconnaissance.
Since July 2024, Russian volunteer groups have launched crowdfunding campaigns to support this regiment, which operates in temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The Russian Defence Ministry (MoD) started restructuring informal drone detachments along with other specialists, including signalmen, medics and engineers, into "joint technical battalions". By October 2024, the ministry also reported the creation of an unspecified number of unmanned systems detachments through the Rubikon Centre for Prospective Unmanned Technologies and announced the establishment of five additional unmanned systems.
Defence analyst Konrad Muzyka evaluated that the recent restructuring within the Russian military, along with the creation of drone units, indicates the possibility of similar regiments being established in other Russian military districts in the future.
Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov later declared that the ministry plans to finalise the establishment of the Unmanned Systems Forces within the Russian military by the third quarter of 2025.
Quote from the ISW "Russian forces will likely gain augmented drone support capabilities should the Russian MoD successfully form these new unmanned systems regiments and centralise its procurement efforts under the Unmanned Systems Forces, although the success of this effort will depend on the Russian military's commitment to executing the necessary reforms and the availability of resources."The first official Russian delegation arrived in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime on 28 January to discuss Russia's continued use of its military bases in Syria.
The Russian military continues to evacuate military assets from the Port of Tartus amid the ongoing Russian-Syrian negotiations.
The Russian military likely formed a separate unmanned systems regiment at the military district level in order to augment Russia's unmanned systems capabilities. The creation of this regiment supports the Russian Ministry of Defence's (MoD) recent coordinated effort to establish the Unmanned Systems Forces within the Russian military and centralise control over informal drone detachments.
A senior NATO official acknowledged that Russia is escalating a sabotage and destabilisation campaign against European NATO member states in Europe to deter further military assistance to Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Toretsk and near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, Velyka Novosilka and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The Russian government continues to use its "Time of Heroes" programme to appoint veterans of the war in Ukraine to federal government positions as part of wider Kremlin efforts to militarise Russian society.
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