Unmanned Systems Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
The Unmanned Systems Forces are a separate branch of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, established in 2024 to oversee the combat use of unmanned aerial systems and coordinate the development of Ukraine's drone warfare capabilities.
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Russian Major General Anton Grunis killed in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's drone forces claim strike
Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion "Rarog" carried out the strike on September 12. Grunis had earlier briefed Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture of Kostiantynivka, a claim Ukraine denies.
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Ukraine strikes Russian naval base in Novorossiysk and multiple targets in occupied Crimea and Donbas
On 8 September and overnight into 9 September 2026, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck a series of Russian military targets, including the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk where the Kalibr-carrying frigate 'Admiral Essen' was hit. Other strikes hit a patrol boat in occupied Sevastopol, electronic-intelligence and command-and-measurement antennas in Crimea, and drone storage and ammunition depots in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Ukrainian officials and OSINT channels reported the damage; the mayor of Novorossiysk acknowledged a fire but attributed it to falling debris.