The formation of a company of strike unmanned aerial systems (RUBAK) has begun. The company carried out its first combat missions in the Kreminna sector, in the area of the Serebryanske Forestry. The unit employed FPV drones and crews of heavy bombers to strike enemy personnel, equipment, and positions.
Unmanned Systems Battalion 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov”
About unit
The Unmanned Systems Battalion operates in the air and on the ground 24/7. Thanks to their skill and coordinated efforts, the battalion’s soldiers engage enemy personnel and equipment using all available means.
FPV drones, strike drones, and heavy bombers hunt the enemy around the clock in the hottest sectors of the front. Operators of Mavic drones and reconnaissance drones conduct reconnaissance and fire correction, working in coordination with all units. Pilots of ground-based robotic systems and strike UAVs create opportunities for logistics and striking the enemy on the ground, supplying positions with everything necessary and saving the lives of personnel.
The unit is constantly evolving, adapting to new challenges and the realities of modern warfare, introducing new types of drones and tactics for their use.
Symbols
History
The RUBPAK, as part of a battalion tactical group, was deployed to carry out combat missions in a critical sector of the front near the village of Terny.
The Unmanned Systems Company was expanded into the Unmanned Systems Battalion. During this period, the unit’s structure was expanded, the number of crews and areas of operation increased, and specific specializations in the field of unmanned systems were developed.
The Unmanned Systems Battalion was deployed to combat operations in the Toretsk sector—one of the most intense sections of the front line—specifically in the area around the village of New York. The unit carried out aerial reconnaissance missions, engaged targets with FPV drones, supported offensive and defensive operations, and identified and destroyed enemy logistics and equipment. The crews operated under conditions of intense combat and constant countermeasures from enemy electronic warfare systems.
Throughout 2025, the unit continued to actively develop its unmanned systems capabilities. The use of FPV drones, strike bombers, reconnaissance systems, and interception assets was expanded. Particular attention was paid to the development of unmanned ground robotic systems, which began to be deployed for logistical, engineering, and combat missions.
The BBC is moving entirely to the 1st Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard’s “Azov” unit. Currently, new technologies are being actively developed and implemented across all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including ground-based robotic systems, FPV drones, reconnaissance and strike UAVs of the “Krylo” type, heavy bombers, and multirotor UAVs. The unit continues to adapt UAV deployment tactics in line with the changing conditions of modern warfare.
Commader
Stepan “Bud” Vitkovsky
First LieutenantHe joined the military in late February 2022. He began his service in the 55th Rifle Battalion. By the end of 2022, he was assigned to the 54th Brigade in the Siverskyi sector, where he eventually became the commander of a reconnaissance squad. From early 2023, he served in an aerial reconnaissance crew operating a Mavic drone. He has been with the Azov Brigade since April 2023. From his first months in the brigade, he was one of the most experienced drone operators in his unit. Over the course of two years, he rose from crew commander to battalion commander—a position he has held since May 2025.
