Second drone brigade in two months: Ukraine is forming the 446th Unmanned Systems Brigade
It is the second brigade of this level stood up in 2026, following the 445th, and recruitment is already underway, per unofficial sources.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are establishing the 446th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, as reported by MilitaryLand. This new unit is currently in the recruitment phase while formation progresses. The brigade aims to bolster Ukraine's unmanned systems capabilities, which have already demonstrated significant impact. In just one summer, the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) reported the brigade contributed to neutralizing 32,485 Russian personnel.
Ukraine is grappling with a shortage of military personnel, and the formation of this second separate unmanned systems brigade this year underscores this challenge. The brigade's commander envisions unmanned systems covering the entire front, from tactical to strategic levels. Military personnel from other units can transfer through the Army+ program, according to MilitaryLand.
The first of these brigades, the 445th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade Chata, was formed in July. The recruitment process includes operators for ground robots, FPV, bomber, and interceptor drones, as well as psychological-support officers, analysts, and accountants. Ukrainian drones have been instrumental in Russia's battlefield, accounting for approximately 96% of Russian casualties in March, with 33,988 of the 35,000 killed or severely wounded.
This success was highlighted by Zelenskyy in April. The deployment of unmanned systems units is part of a broader strategy to expand the Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems arsenal. Robert Brovdi, known as Madyar, initiated this expansion plan to increase the role of the SBS within Ukraine's Defense Forces. He aims to increase drone forces from around 2.5% of the armed forces to 5%, a goal he first proposed publicly in September 2025.
Currently, drone units account for roughly a third of Russian losses over the past 12 months. Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized the importance of unmanned systems as a key factor in modern warfare. Mykhailo Drapatyi, the current Commander-in-Chief, prioritizes the development and scaling of unmanned components.
Overall, the SBS struck 58,465 targets in August, as reported by the brigade itself for the period of 1–31 August.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
