--- title: "Ukrainian forces form 446th Unmanned Systems Brigade: second such unit of this level in 2026" description: "The Ukrainian Armed Forces have begun forming the 446th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade — the second such unit in 2026. Staffing is being carried out through the Army+ app, including a simplified procedure for those who previously left their units without permission." date: 2026-08-30T19:16:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/vsu-forms-446th-unmanned-systems-brigade tags: [ukraine-war, drones, uav-brigade, military, army-plus] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukrainian forces form 446th Unmanned Systems Brigade: second such unit of this level in 2026 ![Ukrainian soldier holding a large white drone in a field](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/30/446-brigada-bespylotnykh-sistem-vsu/446-brigada-bespylotnykh-sistem-vsu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The Ukrainian Armed Forces have begun forming the 446th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, the second such unit in 2026. - Staffing is being carried out through the Army+ app, including a simplified return procedure for those who previously left their units without permission. - The creation of the brigade is proceeding in parallel with the deployment of the 50th, 55th, 64th, 76th and 167th mechanized brigades. - The Ukrainian side reports massive drone strikes on the enemy's rear and air defense, including the "Yeysk" and "Millerovo" airfields. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun forming the 446th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade. According to available data, this is already the second unit of this level created in 2026. The new formation is currently in the process of being established and staffed, as confirmed by reports from Ukrainian media about the launch of recruitment into its ranks. ### Parallel deployment and place in the structure The creation of the 446th Brigade is taking place in parallel with the deployment of a number of other units of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, including the 50th, 55th, 64th, 76th and 167th mechanized brigades. The emergence of yet another unmanned systems formation is seen as an expected step in the framework of the sequential expansion of this branch of the military. Previously, the 445th Brigade appeared in the structure, and the 447th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion was formed within the Navy, indicating a systematic rather than one-off logic in building up the army's drone potential. ### Staffing via the Army+ app The new unit is currently being staffed. Applications to transfer to the 446th Brigade can be submitted through the official Army+ app. It is separately noted that the program provides a simplified procedure for returning to service for military personnel who previously left their units without permission (so-called AWOLs). This decision has a dual effect: on the one hand, it accelerates the formation of the brigade by drawing on the existing personnel reserve, and on the other, it becomes part of a broader policy of returning to the ranks those who previously deserted or evaded service. ### Combat experience and reported losses Ukrainian military continue to inflict losses on the occupying forces both at the front line and in the deep rear. In particular, according to statements from the Ukrainian side, the special unit "Ptakhy Mad" destroys, by their estimate, a and a half battalions of the enemy for each fallen fighter. Over the course of the full-scale invasion, according to the same data, the brigade lost 79 fighters, but only during the last rotation in the eastern direction, Ukrainian drones, according to the command, eliminated and disabled more than 50,000 occupiers. These figures are self-reported and cannot be independently verified. ### Strikes on the rear and air defense In addition to frontline operations, the Defense Forces are actively striking targets in the enemy's rear. Recently, according to reports from Ukrainian military, five air defense systems were hit at two Russian airfields — "Yeysk" and "Millerovo" — and ammunition depots and technical facilities were also successfully struck. Such strikes on air defense infrastructure and logistics are aimed at reducing the enemy's ability to protect its aviation and supply forward positions. ### Contradictory data There is an inconsistency in the chronology in the original formulations: the 446th Brigade is described as the "second unit of this level created in 2026," while it is stated that "the 445th Brigade had already appeared in the structure earlier." If the 445th Brigade was formed before 2026, then the claim of a "second unit in 2026" requires clarification — perhaps it refers to the second one in the current year after the 445th, formed at the beginning of 2026, or the formulation is imprecise. Moreover, the reported combat results (more than 50,000 hit in a single rotation, the ratio of "a and a half battalions per fallen fighter") are exclusively self-reported data from the Ukrainian side and are not confirmed by independent sources, so they should be taken with a caveat. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [A new 446th Unmanned Systems Brigade to appear in the Ukrainian Armed Forces](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/skladi-zsu-z-yavitsya-nova-446-ta-brigada-1788116031.html) - Подтверждает факт формирования 446-й бригады БПЛА и набор через Army+; совпадает с основным текстом. - [Unmanned Systems Forces hit 10 of the occupiers' energy facilities overnight](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4899673-syly-bespylotnykh-system-porazyly-10-enerhoobektov-okkupantov-za-noch) - Подтверждено по источнику korrespondent.net - [Ukrainian forces hit an air defense complex position near "Putin's palace"](https://www.dw.com/ru/vsu-porazili-poziciu-kompleksa-pvo-radom-s-dvorcom-putina-v-gelendzike/a-78294767) - Подтверждено по источнику dw.com - [Ukrainian Armed Forces talk about the influence of the game GTA on drone operator training](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/08/11/29083225.shtml) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает активное развитие подготовки операторов дронов в ВСУ; не противоречит теме, но не является первичным подтверждением факта создания бригады. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What is the 446th Brigade and when was it created? **A:** It is a separate Unmanned Systems Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the formation of which has only just begun. It is described as the second unit of this level created in 2026, following the previously established 445th Brigade. ### Q: How can one join the 446th Brigade? **A:** An application for transfer can be submitted through the Army+ app. Through this same program, a simplified procedure for returning to service is provided for those who previously left their units without permission. ### Q: Have the reported combat results been confirmed? **A:** No. The figures on enemy losses (including more than 50,000 during the last rotation) and on the brigade's losses are self-reported data from the Ukrainian side and are not confirmed by independent sources.