BRUSSELS/MOSCOW/KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday named Denis Lyamin to head Russia's Unmanned Systems Forces, a newly established branch of the military that will be responsible for drone warfare.
Putin announced the appointment as part of a refinement of the military structure midway through the fifth year of the conflict with Ukraine. Drones have come to dominate the conflict, with each side deploying them not only along the front line but also for attacks at sea and on targets deep behind lines such as energy infrastructure and commercial warehouses.
Meanwhile, the European Union will use 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) taken from interest generated by frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
The money, transferred to the bloc on Monday, came from interest on cash balances, part of Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU in the wake of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the commission said.
So far there is no response from the Kremlin.
