On February 6, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced the signing of a decree formalizing a new branch of the Ukrainian Defense Forces – the Unmanned Systems Forces. In his nightly address on YouTube, he emphasized the importance of drones on the battlefield and the rationale for the formation of the new branch:

Drones – unmanned systems – have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea. Ukraine has truly changed the security situation in the Black Sea with the help of drones. Repelling ground assaults is primarily the task of drones…The current list of tasks is clear: special staff positions for drone operations, special units, effective training, systematization of experience, constant scaling of production, and the involvement of the best ideas and top specialists in this field. 

This announcement underscores points made by Ukrainian Brig. Gen. Yurii Shchyhol, in comments made to Inside Unmanned Systems, relevant to which kinds of drones were contributing most to Kyiv’s war effort. See additional relevant reporting on Ukraine’s maritime UAV’s and the drones on the front-line in Ukraine.