Zelensky has ordered the formation a new military branch exclusively focused on the use of unmanned systems.
Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky was appointed the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces the same day, June 26.
Military reference book publisher Jane's named the new branch "the world's first unmanned force."
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces claim to be aimed at coordinating the deployment of drones and robotic systems in land, air and maritime domains.
The establishment of a new military branch has provided Zelensky with another opportunity to demand more money from the West, according to Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis (BVPA), a Russian think-tank.
"A separate military branch requires the allocation of separate funding from the budget of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry," Mikhailov told Sputnik. "Since the Ukrainian defense department is entirely funded by the collective West, [Ukraine] will send new, increased, bills to their Western curators for the creation of this new force."
The expert sees little merit in separating the drone systems command from other military branches.
"One should not see Ukraine as some kind of a military model," he continued. "As far as I know, neither in the US, nor in Israel, nor European countries have separate military branches for unmanned vehicles."
When it comes to Russia, the nation's military has been increasingly implementing unmanned robotic systems in virtually all branches of Armed Forces, according to the pundit.
He said Russian motorized rifle regiments "have their own small drones, which provide terrain reconnaissance and transmission of artillery data. There are drones that essentially provide additional security to combat vehicles that accompany the crews" and others that deliver ammunition to troops.
Before the start of the special military operation, Russia was hardly the leader in military drone technology, Mikhailov noted. But now the Kalashnikov concern alone makes a huge contribution to tghe Russian war effort with its state-of-art Lancet and Kub drones.
He pointed out that a number of other military corporations and companies, including Almaz-Antey the United Aircraft Corporation and Russian Helicopters have also begun production of new unmanned systems.
Simultaneously, Russia's electronic warfare (EW) has taken on a new significance amid the ongoing "drone war" in the zone of special military operation, Mikhailov said.
Although Russia employed electronic warfare techniques for the first time more than 100 years ago, modern challenges posed by unmanned systems have catalyzed the development of its EW capabilities, according to Sputnik's pundit. As a result, EW has turned into one of the most important forms of battlefield support.
"Russia has the scientific and technical expertise to create electronic warfare systems and complexes," Mikhailov said. "Now there is a great demand for mobile electronic warfare stations, portable systems that can detect enemy drones and ensure safety of both military units and individual combat vehicles and fighters."
According to the expert, the success of drone warfare cannot be determined by the number of new military branches, but by the reality on the ground where unmanned and EW systems work in concert to ensure the army's readiness, agility and survivability.