Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that Kyiv would create a new branch of Kyiv's military, known as the Unmanned Systems Forces, dedicated exclusively to drone warfare. "Drones, unmanned systems, have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea," the Ukrainian leader said.

Russia unleashed a new barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight, again targeting the energy sector and killing at least one civilian, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. Ukraine's military said Russian forces had fired 78 attack drones and six missiles over various regions during the hours-long attack.