President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered the creation of a separate branch of the Armed Forces to deal with drones.
The relevant decree was published on the president's website.
"In order to increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use unmanned and robotic air, sea, and ground systems, to ensure readiness to use such systems as intended, I hereby order the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with the involvement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to consider the issue of creating the Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate type of force within the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, based on the results of the consideration, to submit relevant proposals to the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine," the text of the decree reads.
In his evening address, Zelenskyy said that drones had helped to change the situation in the Black Sea and repel enemy assaults on the ground.
"This year should be decisive in many aspects. And, obviously, on the battlefield. Drones - unmanned systems - have proven their effectiveness in battles on the ground, in the sky and at sea. Ukraine has really changed the security situation in the Black Sea thanks to drones. Repulsing assaults on the ground is largely the work of drones. The large-scale destruction of the occupiers and their equipment is also the work of drones," said the president.
Zelenskyy said that the list of tasks includes the creation of special staff positions "to work with drones, special units, effective training, systematisation of experience, constant scaling of production and attraction of the best ideas, the best specialists in this area."
"This is a task for the army, the Ministry of Defence and the government as a whole. And to ensure the necessary coordination in the Defence Forces, to ensure the proper level of planning and quality of logistics, the Unmanned Systems Forces will be created within the Armed Forces. The relevant proposals will be submitted to the National Security and Defence Council," Zelenskyy added.