Drone troopers are established as separate branch of Russia's armed forces
They must be deployed and developed as quickly and efficiently as possible, says Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.
The announcement was made in this week's meeting on the country's new ten-year armament programme.
"In this connection, I would like to point out that we are now creating unmanned systems troops as a separate branch of the armed forces, and it is necessary to ensure their deployment and development as quickly and efficiently as possible," the dictator told his top military brass.
"It seems to me that we have accumulated good experience in order to create this kind of troops," he argued and added that "it is a question of training personnel, manufacturing, and supplying modern apparatus capable of enhancing the combat capabilities of our troops."
Drones have since Russia launched its barbaric full-scale war against Ukraine increasingly become an integrated part of Russian military units.
That includes also the forces based in the Russian far north.
When Northern Fleet Head Commander Konstantin Kabantsev in April this year paid a visit to Franz Josef Land, he was showed how local forces operate drones and anti-drone weapons.
The Northern Fleet has already established a Centre for training of drone operators. In the centre, soldiers with experience from drone warfare in Ukraine train conscript and other troops.
Initially, the attack drone operators get theoretical and technical training. Subsequently, they train with social computer simulators. After having passed their exams, the servicemen are given practical training in special shooting ranges, the Northern Fleet informs.
The Northern Fleet is also in the process of developing marine drones. When Andrei Kartapolov, leader of the State Duma Defence Committee, this week visited Arkhangelsk, he reportedly discussed sea drone logistics with regional governor Aleksandr Tsybulsky.
Kartapolov also paid a visit to Sevmash and Zvezdochka, the two major naval shipyards in the region. During the visit, he might have been introduced to the development of sea drones. Among the photos distributed by the Zvezdochka yard is one where a company representative shows the controversial politician a small-scale propeller that could potentially be made for sea drones.
