| Phase | Core |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 (2025) | Strategic command organs established (1 March); five strike-UAV detachments (Garpiya/Geran) at designated airfields; 77th Drone Regiment (Eastern MD) at strength; 283 command organs / ± 1,209 personnel. |
| Phase 2 (2026) | Full-strength drone regiments (staff + 3 drone battalions + counter-drone battalion) in four military districts; maritime strike drone regiment Northern Fleet. Condition: ± 77.7 bn roubles (~$900 M) still unallocated. |
| Phase 3 (2026) | Drone battalions in eight combined-arms armies; maritime regiment Pacific Fleet; six separate UAV regiments + one squadron for the VKS. Reorganisation from battalion to regiment running ahead of schedule. |
| Phase 4 (2026–2027) | Separate drone brigade as Supreme High Command reserve; command organs for non-service forces (FSB, Rosgvardia); ambitious capstone: 204 drone battalions embedded in motorised/tank brigades by 2028. |
Remember
The pattern is top-down: first the head and a few strike detachments, then regiments per district, then battalions per army, and finally embedding down to brigade level. Money — not will — is the main brake (see the funding gap in phase 2).