Russian drone operators. Stock photo: pl-llc.ru
Russia plans to increase its unmanned systems forces to 165,000 personnel by end of 2026 – Ukraine's commander-in-chief
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said that Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have been killing or wounding more Russian troops than Russia has mobilised for four months running. Meanwhile, Russia has increased its drone forces to 101,000 personnel and plans t
Ukrainska Pravda
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Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said that Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have been killing or wounding more Russian troops than Russia has mobilised for four months running. Meanwhile, Russia has increased its drone forces to 101,000 personnel and plans to expand them to 165,500 by the end of the year.
Source: Syrskyi on Telegram
Quote: "For four months running, since December 2025, our unmanned systems units have been taking out more enemy personnel than they recruit into their ranks… In March, compared to February, the total number of enemy personnel losses inflicted by our unmanned systems units increased by 29%."
Details: According to Syrskyi, unmanned units now carry out more than 11,000 combat missions per day on average.
"In March, 50% more verified targets were hit compared to February – that is, more than 150,000. I would also like to highlight the increased effectiveness of our Middle Strike capabilities: nearly 350 strikes at operational depth (30-120 km). We hit 143 enemy logistics facilities and depots, 52 Russian army command posts, 20 oil and energy facilities, and many other targets," Syrskyi said.
He added that, as intelligence data suggests, as of early April the Russian forces have expanded their unmanned systems troops to 101,000 personnel and plan to increase this figure to 165,500 by the end of 2026.
"Therefore, we cannot afford to stop in this decisive confrontation. The further development of unmanned systems units across different branches of the Armed Forces is ongoing," Syrskyi concluded.
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