Russia planning to expand drone forces to 165,500 by year-end, General Syrskyi warns
Russia plans to increase its unmanned systems forces to 165,500 personnel by the end of 2026, after expanding them to 101,000 as of early April, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday.
Syrskyi stated that Ukraine “has no right to stop in this decisive confrontation.” Work continues on further development of unmanned systems units across various branches and types of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In March, Ukrainian unmanned units inflicted 29% more casualties on Russian personnel than in February. On average, they carry out more than 11,000 combat missions per day. Last month they struck 50% more verified targets than in February — over 150,000.
Syrskyi highlighted the growing effectiveness of Ukrainian Middle Strike capabilities, with nearly 350 strikes at operational depth (30–120 km) in March. These hit 143 enemy logistics and storage facilities, 52 command posts, 20 oil and energy facilities, and many other targets.
Ground robotic systems increased the number of tasks performed by more than 50% in March compared with February.
The commander-in-chief described unmanned forces as one of the key factors giving the Defense Forces an advantage. They currently hold strategic initiative and prevent Russian troops from resuming large-scale offensives.
“These units are currently inflicting the most massive and effective damage on the enemy. For four consecutive months, starting from December 2025, our unmanned systems units have been neutralizing more enemy personnel than Russia recruits into its ranks,” Syrskyi said.