Moscow is copying the example of Ukraine's expanding drone force, with the number of personnel in Russian drone crews and units passing 100,000 over spring 2026, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi said.
As the battlefield is dominated by unmanned systems more and more with every passing year of Russia's full-scale war, gaining and maintaining the upper hand in the drone fight has become critically important for strategic success.
At the beginning of the year, the size of Russia's drone component stood at only 86,000, and by May 1, had grown to 114,000, Brovdi said in an interview to Ukrainska Pravda published on May 14.
By the end of the year, Brovdi added, the drone force is set to hit Moscow's reported target of 168,000.
"They are effectively copying the existing franchise of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces grouping," Brovdi said.
