Art, maths and killing: Ukraine drone chief's formula to stop Russia - The Economic Times
AI Analysis
Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi, a former grain trader, now leads Ukraine's unmanned systems forces, orchestrating drone strikes against Russian infrastructure and military targets. He emphasizes data-driven analysis – applying accounting principles to warfare – to optimize drone operations and target selection. These successful attacks have elevated his profile, making him a priority target for Russia and necessitating secure operational locations.
Key Takeaways
- Madyar Brovdi was appointed commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces in June 2025.
- His unit, 'Madyar's Birds,' pioneered drone warfare tactics early in the conflict.
- Brovdi utilizes a data-centric approach, applying accounting methodologies to track and analyze drone effectiveness.
- Ukrainian drone strikes, under his command, have targeted Russian oil and military facilities.
- The success of these operations has led to Brovdi becoming a high-value target for Russia, requiring him to operate from secure, underground bunkers.
Why It Matters
Ukraine’s innovative use of drones, guided by Brovdi’s analytical approach, demonstrates the potential to offset conventional military disadvantages. This highlights a shift in modern warfare where asymmetric capabilities and data analysis are increasingly crucial. The focus on long-range strikes also indicates a strategy to degrade Russia's logistical and economic capacity.
Art, maths and killing: Ukraine drone chief's formula to stop Russia - The Economic Times
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Art, maths and killing: Ukraine drone chief's formula to stop Russia
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Art, maths and killing: Ukraine drone chief's formula to stop Russia
AFPLast Updated: Jun 10, 2026, 05:38:00 PM IST
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Synopsis
Robert "Madyar" Brovdi's underground command post features walls of blinking screens playing footage of Ukrainian drones attacking Russian troops, frontline maps, and scoreboards of destroyed targets. These attacks have made Madyar a priority target for Russia, he says, forcing him into secret underground bunkers.
ReutersA representative image
Robert "Madyar" Brovdi's underground command post features walls of blinking screens playing footage of Ukrainian drones attacking Russian troops, frontline maps, and scoreboards of destroyed targets.The drone attacks that the grey-bearded 50-year-old oversees from the bunker -- in a secret location in Ukraine -- are recorded and analysed, for him to develop strategies to stop the Russian invasion.The secretive and unlikely head of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces, whose recent strikes have embarrassed the Kremlin, grumbles that he does not like interviews, but his face lights up when the conversation turns to maths and war.
"Numbers are the foundation of war. Everything starts there. Anyone who ignores this cannot play this game. They will be followers rather than leaders," Brovdi told AFP.Better known by his call-sign of Madyar, Brovdi was a wealthy grain trader with no military background when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
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He volunteered to fight, then set up his own drone unit -- "Madyar's Birds" -- well before many had realised the full importance of the technology, quickly earning plaudits inside the military.
Zelensky appointed him in June 2025 to command the army's overall unmanned systems forces.
His path reflects how Ukraine has leveraged innovation to fight Russia's more conventionally powerful army."I simply brought my accounting system with me to the war. We took the names of grain varieties from the table and entered the types of drones and ammunition there," he told AFP.Brovdi has masterminded some of the biggest attacks on Russia, with long-range drone strikes on oil and military facilities chipping away at Vladimir Putin's war chest.These attacks have made Madyar a priority target for Russia, he says, forcing him into secret underground bunkers.On a visit to one site, AFP journalists had to follow strict protocols, including a ride in a car with blacked-out windows.'Dangerous, committed'Ukrainian artwork and drone carcasses provide an eclectic dec