Robert Brovdi Tells European Generals Their Countries Are Unprepared for Modern Warfare

Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi, identified three key challenges facing Ukrainian troops and described the current realities of drone warfare that NATO armies will inevitably have to confront.

He shared this during the international LANDEURO meeting in Wiesbaden, Germany.

According to Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi, he currently commands 12 unmanned systems units, which make up only 2% of the entire Ukrainian army. Despite this small number, the new branch of the military plays a critical role in destroying Russian forces.

“We eliminate one out of every three enemy personnel units, as well as one out of every three enemy targets,” the Commander stated.

All of this highlights the importance of drones on the modern battlefield. In Brovdi’s view, all ‘sensible’ partner countries must begin preparing more actively and learning the lessons paid for with Ukrainian lives – because, in time, they too will be drawn into war.

The Commander outlined three key threats from the Russian side that either already pose or could soon pose serious challenges to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

“The first threat: Putin is sending more infantry to the war than we are able to eliminate each month. The second: Putin has found a very convenient, cheap, and effective weapon for terrorizing Ukraine’s civilian population and destroying our infrastructure – it’s called the Shahed.

Third: everyone who wanted to fight in Ukraine is already fighting, so we’re not counting on manna. But we know what to do, and we’re doing it – based on our own experience, our own blood, with the support of our partners,” said Robert Brovdi.

According to Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi, Ukraine’s experience with unmanned systems should form the foundation of a new global defense strategy for partner countries. Already, drones have created a so-called “kill zone” about 20 kilometers deep around the front line, where targets are actively struck by unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result, frontline logistics are increasingly being handled by ground-based robotic systems.

Another example is Ukraine’s layered ‘wall’ of interceptor drones – a project aimed at stopping everything in the air, from reconnaissance to strike drones, heading toward Ukrainian territory.

“When Putin was launching 100 Shahed drones a day at Ukraine, he promised 500, and we didn’t treat it as a serious threat. Today, it’s no laughing matter – we’ve already crossed the threshold of 400 drones per day.

Our experience will be invaluable for the entire rational world, because any country could face a similar scenario. I don’t know of a single NATO country capable of defending its cities if faced with 200-300 Shaheds every day, seven days a week. Your national security urgently requires a strategic reassessment,” said Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi.

He draw a conclusion about it by sharing his impressions from a visit last year to a NATO military base in one European country:

“Without coming closer than 10 kilometers, four crews of Ukrainian drone pilots could have turned that place into another Pearl Harbor in just 15 minutes. I’m not saying this to scare anyone – only to point out that these technologies are now so accessible and cheap. If they fall into the hands of terrorists, they could destabilize an entire country. That’s why our common struggle is in all of our shared interests,” he concluded.