Must-Read: Robert Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, on Russian Losses, Deep Strikes, and the Future of Drone Warfare
A detailed Assessment from Magyar
Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, Hero of Ukraine, is the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
CONTENT
Role and Priorities of Unmanned Systems Forces
Huge Russian Losses
Ukrainian Deep Strikes
Improved Effectiveness and the Math Behind Deep Strikes
Future of Drone Warfare
Russian Approach and Ambitions to Seize More Territory
Key Challenges for Ukraine
Role and Priorities of Unmanned Systems Forces
Our most valuable asset is our people — our soldiers. Mobilization in the fifth year of the war in Ukraine is, to put it mildly, difficult. Those who wanted to fight are already fighting. Those who wanted to leave have already left. Those who are hiding from service, who do not feel ready or do not believe they should defend their country — we do not rely on them. This is not the contingent that will truly be effective.
Recruitment continues without interruption, but the pace is far from what we need. The arithmetic is simple: the enemy’s primary target is manpower — not tanks, not artillery, but people. No manpower means no assault.
Given this, the main priority in countering the enemy is direct impact on its manpower. Put plainly — eliminating enemy personnel. Trying to do that with our own human resources is neither equivalent nor sustainable, and it is extremely risky, because replenishment is not fast enough.
Exchanging enemy soldiers for a piece of metal and plastic that costs $300–500 — this is the best exchange rate in the world. A $300 drone for the life of an assault soldier. Understanding that Russia’s human potential is not unlimited — though its scale is evident — it recruits over 400,000 personnel annually for the war. That is roughly 33,000–35,000 soldiers per month.
Starting in December 2025, for the first time, we reached parity between the number of enemy personnel mobilized and those eliminated by drones. This is confirmed in the Delta situational awareness system used by Ukraine’s military, where every strike is recorded and verified — whether an enemy serviceman was killed or wounded.
The wounded are either left without evacuation or lightly wounded and later evacuated. This balance was reached in December 2025, and as of April 2026, it marks a significant turning point. For four consecutive months, this balance has remained negative for the enemy — meaning that Ukraine’s Defense Forces, using drones, are confirmed to be eliminating more personnel than Russia is mobilizing.
Huge Russian Losses
It’s not complicated, once you understand the mobilization plans — and these are not secret. The enemy knows our plans; we know theirs. There is also about a 20 percent margin. These are enemy losses we cannot confirm.
