Operators of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have become some of those who brought the war to the territory of the aggressor state, and facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the front line face the consequences of their work every day, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky has said.
"Today we are celebrating your professional holiday for the first time. The Unmanned Systems Forces are the youngest, but already one of the most effective separate branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he wrote on Telegram.
In his congratulations on the occasion of the first Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Syrsky noted that the terms Middle Strike and Deep Strike have become "symbols of inevitable punishment" for the Russian occupiers.
He recalled that in 2024, Ukraine was the first in the world to create a separate branch of the military—the Unmanned Systems Forces. "It was a strategic, far-sighted, and non-alternative decision. After all, modern war is primarily a war of technologies, intelligence, innovation, and speed of decision-making," the commander-in-chief writes.
Syrsky said drones have become one of the main instruments of modern warfare and one of the key factors in saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.
"The Unmanned Systems Forces today are not just about the sky. It is also work on the ground and at sea. It is a unique combination of combat experience, engineering thought, analytics, and innovation. Operators, engineers, designers, programmers, analysts—you all are the embodiment of a new era of warfare," Syrsky said.
The commander-in-chief also added that the Unmanned Systems Forces are constantly improving, opening new opportunities, and creating new ways to fight the enemy.
"The future is being created right now. And to a large extent, by your hands," Syrsky said.
