KYIV, July 20 — The shift is unmistakable. Nearly three years after Ukraine created the world’s first separate military branch dedicated entirely to uncrewed systems, the experiment has grown into a sprawling national enterprise. What started as a wartime innovation is now a model for how a modern military can embed drone capabilities at the core of its structure.
The Unmanned Systems Forces, established in May 2023 as a branch equal in status to the Ground Forces or Air Force, is led by Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi. He oversees all military drone operations.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made drone expansion a national priority, holding regular meetings with producers and urging citizens to donate to the “Drone Army” fund — a program launched by the Ministry of Digital Transformation under Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
An ecosystem of innovation
The private sector is central to this push. Dozens of startups have emerged, funded by the Brave1 defense tech cluster, which has evaluated hundreds of UAV designs. Major producers include Ukrspecsystems, Skyeton, and RAK-ET.
Ukrainian engineers are continuously fielding new designs based on combat feedback, making the drone industry highly innovative. That cycle — design, test, deploy, refine — is what sets this effort apart from traditional military procurement.
International support is ramping up. A $1.1 billion deal with the European Union will involve coordination with Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, headed by Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, and the Ministry of Defense under Minister Rustem Umerov. NATO allies are also providing training programs.
The production challenge
The scale of the 10 million target will require unprecedented collaboration between the state and private firms. Procurement reforms are being introduced to speed up contracts. That’s a structural change, not just a production goal.
The trend underneath: Ukraine is trying to build a wartime industrial base that can keep pace with rapid battlefield feedback. What’s changing?
The old model of long development cycles and rigid procurement is being replaced by a constant flow of prototypes. The commander, the president, the ministries, and dozens of startups are all working on the same problem — how to get more capable drones into the hands of operators faster. Watch this space.
If the reforms stick and the EU deal delivers, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces could set a template that other militaries will study for years. The world’s first drone branch isn’t just a novelty — it’s becoming a real test bed for the future of warfare.
