Russian President Vladimir Putin has overhauled key battlefield commands and established a dedicated drone warfare force, signaling a push to restructure the military for a protracted conflict in Ukraine.
Putin appointed Colonel General Denis Lyamin to lead the newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces and swapped commanders of the Centre and East troop groupings, placing Andrei Ivanaev over Centre and Piotr Bolgarev over East. Former Centre commander Valery Solodchuk was reassigned to oversee rear services. The Kremlin is prioritising field logistics and unmanned systems as part of a broader defence ministry overhaul launched after Sergei Shoigu's dismissal in May 2024 and the appointment of Andrei Belousov as defence minister.
The shake-up comes as Russian forces have suffered up to 450,000 dead and 1.4 million wounded since the war began, with territorial gains in 2026 described as minimal while Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continue to intensify pressure on Moscow.