300 servicemen from Next unit to be transferred from the State Special Communications Service to Brave1

The Ministry of Digital Transformation is planning to establish a new unit within the Brave1 defenсe tech cluster. It will include approximately 300 servicemen from the Next unit of the State Special Communications Service (SSSCIP). These servicemen are currently responsible for testing cutting-edge weapons on the front line, Forbes Ukraine reports.

The proposed transfer would involve creating military positions within the Ministry of Digital Transformation and formally removing the Next unit from the authority of the SSSCIP. “In fact, this is merely a formalization of the ongoing cooperation between Next and the Ministry of Digital Transformation,” representative of the Ministry of Strategic Industries said. The move would streamline the involvement of military personnel in testing projects developed under Brave1. It is expected that Next will continue to perform combat missions after the transition.

Next is a classified unit established in 2023. According to Forbes, it initially operated informally and was later formalized within the structure of the SSSCIP. The unit is tasked with testing new models of weapons and technologies. In February 2025, the Babel news outlet was the first to publicly report on the unit’s existence. According to the article, Next works closely with manufacturers, field-tests equipment on the front lines, and returns it for refinement based on battlefield feedback. The head of SSSCIP, Oleksandr Potii, confirmed in a May 2025 that Next is engaged in the combat deployment of drones, particularly fixed-wing models.