Russia has announced a $20 million reward for information about the whereabouts of Ukrainian Armed Forces Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Ukrainian unit under his command has become one of the key elements of modern warfare involving drones.
The information was published in a report by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the publication, due to the high effectiveness of the Unmanned Systems Forces units, Robert Brovdi and his soldiers have become a priority target for Russia. WSJ reports that the Kremlin allegedly spread information through post-Soviet criminal networks about a $20 million reward for data on Brovdi’s location.
The report also states that Russian courts have convicted the Ukrainian commander in absentia on “terrorism” charges related to Ukrainian military operations.
Robert “Magyar” Brovdi has commanded the Unmanned Systems Forces since June 2025. According to WSJ, the force makes up about 2.5% of Ukraine’s Armed Forces but is responsible for approximately one-third of Russian military casualties over the past year.
The article notes that the unit under Brovdi’s leadership grew from a small territorial defense group into the 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade.
WSJ journalists were granted access to the command center of the “Magyar’s Birds” unit. Due to security concerns, the route and location of the center were not disclosed, and journalists used operational security measures during their visit.
At the command center, Ukrainian forces use the Delta battlefield management system, which integrates data from drones, sensors and other assets into a single network. According to the authors of the report, the system allows information about targets to be transmitted quickly and decisions to be made without unnecessary approvals.
Brovdi said that modern warfare depends not only on the amount of weapons but also on the speed of data analysis, adaptation and implementation of new solutions.
“The task is to build an ecosystem where cheap and good-enough drones can be used as effectively as possible,” the WSJ report says.
According to the journalists, Ukraine’s model of employing unmanned systems could become an example for the armed forces of the United States and European countries, which will have to adapt to the new realities of warfare.
