Ukraine is marking an annual 'special day' to celebrate drone warfare, Zelenskyy says

2 days ago 16

Soldiers from a drone unit of Ukraine's 422nd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment ''Luftwaffe'' operate drones from a tablet and a remote controller.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established on Wednesday an annual "special day" for his country to commemorate the role of the battle drone against Russia's invasion.

Dubbed the "Unmanned Systems Forces Day," the occasion commemorates Ukraine's dedicated military branch for drone warfare, which was announced in February 2024.

The day of remembrance, however, will be on June 11 every year, Zelensky said.

"A day of our respect, our gratitude to the UAS," Zelenskyy said, referring to uncrewed aerial systems.

The Ukrainian leader said that the Unmanned Systems Forces had inflicted $40 billion worth of damage to Russia against "targets of various levels" in one year of operations.

Zelenskyy highlighted the branch's recent growing use of mid-range strike drones, typically fixed-wing systems that fly 30 to 300 km to attack Russian assets in the rear.

"Russian military logistics throughout the entire depth of the temporarily occupied territories are now within reach of Ukrainian drones," he said. "Russia's border regions are also feeling our impact."

The Unmanned Systems Forces commands several of Ukraine's most elite drone units focused on offensive strikes, including its secretive 1st Center and the Nemesis and Achilles brigades, and is led by Maj. Robert "Magyar" Brovdi.

However, Ukraine also fields dozens of other drone units and thousands of operators attached to its regular fighting force. Zelenskyy praised them too, mentioning "all units and components" of its military.

Zelenskyy signed the Unmanned Systems Forces Day as a "new military tradition" to enter into force immediately, indicating it will be a commemorative day for its troops rather than a public holiday.

The country has 11 national holidays, including one commemorating the country's military and another marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. These holidays are not officially observed during martial law.

Ukraine also has remembrance dates to celebrate its navy, air force, marine corps, and military intelligence.

Drones have been the war's top killer for years. In January, Zelenskyy said that 80% of every Ukrainian strike against Russia involved an uncrewed aerial system.

Matthew is a senior reporter at Business Insider's Singapore bureau, primarily covering defense and how the war in Ukraine is rapidly changing battle technology and tactics.He joined the team in June 2021, previously focusing on internet crime and labor, examining how these issues impact modern society in Asia, with a particular emphasis on China.In 2024, he won the Singapore Press Club's Young Journalist of the Year Award. His work from 2023 also won a silver award from the North American Travel Journalists Association and accolades from Longreads.Matthew's previous work has been featured in the South China Morning Post, as well as Singaporean news companies TODAY and The Business Times.As a student, Matthew's coverage of migrant workers' nutrition in Singapore during the COVID pandemic won the SOAP Story of the Month award and the Student Category prize in the International Labor Organization's 2021 Global Media Competition on Labour Migration.Selected features: