Russia has begun the formation of separate drone regiments at the level of military districts. The aim of these initiatives is to enhance capabilities in the field of unmanned technologies and to centralize drone management, reports the Institute for the Study of War(ISW).

Specifically, the 7th separate reconnaissance-strike drone regiment has been established within the Central Military District of Russia, comprising 1,342 servicemen. Personnel training is conducted at the base of the 473rd District Training Center of the RF.

The regiment's structure includes:

  • command staff;
  • strike battalion of unmanned systems;
  • three reconnaissance-strike battalions;
  • logistical support units, including communication, medical, and repair units.

Additionally, Russia plans to create 102 subordinate units: 41 strike and 61 reconnaissance.

In the summer of 2024, Russian volunteer groups began crowdfunding campaigns to support this regiment. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the RF also announced the reorganization of informal drone units and other specialists into "unified technical battalions." By October 2024, several drone units were formed based on the Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies "Rubikon," with the announcement of creating five more such units.

Military analyst Konrad Muzyka noted that these organizational changes in the Russian armed forces and the formation of drone units indicate that similar regiments may emerge in other Russian military districts in the future.

The Minister of Defense of the RF, Andrei Belousov, stated that the formation of unmanned systems troops within the RF Armed Forces is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2025.

"Russian troops are likely to gain enhanced support capabilities from drones if the Ministry of Defense of Russia successfully establishes these new drone regiments and centralizes its procurement efforts for unmanned systems. At the same time, the success of these efforts will depend on the commitment of the RF Armed Forces to undertake necessary reforms and the availability of resources," he said.

Russia and Ukraine - Prospects for Peace

As reported by UNIAN, recently Putin stated that Russia is ready for negotiations regarding Ukraine, but without the participation of Kyiv. The Russian dictator claimed that if Trump had not had his "victory stolen" in the previous U.S. elections, the war in Ukraine could have been avoided.

We also mentioned that, according to Zelensky, the format of future negotiations will depend not only on Ukraine. He wants the United States and the European Union to be involved in the process as well.

Yesterday, Putin stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has no right to sign documents as a result of possible negotiations with Moscow.