Russia offered a $20 million reward for capture of 'Madyar,' commander of Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems unit: WSJ

Through post-Soviet criminal networks, Russia has offered a $20 million reward for information on the whereabouts of Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“The Unmanned Systems Forces says the Kremlin has put out the word through post-Soviet criminal networks of a $20 million reward for information about Maj. Brovdi’s whereabouts,” the report states.

According to the publication, Russian courts have convicted Brovdi in absentia of “terrorism” in connection with Ukrainian military operations and sentenced him to lengthy prison terms.

The WSJ notes that due to the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones, the Kremlin has made “Magyar” one of its primary targets. Due to the threat to their lives, the commander and his subordinates adhere to strict security measures.

Brovdi attributes this enemy focus to the scale of the Russian army’s losses. According to him, the Unmanned Systems Forces make up only 2.5% of the total strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but they account for about one-third of Russian troop losses over the past year.

He also noted that since the start of the full-scale war, the Russians have killed 79 fighters from the “Magyar’s Birds” unit. Their names are engraved on a wall near the entrance to the command post. According to the commander’s calculations, for every fallen UAS Forces fighter, there are 656 Russians killed or wounded.

Read also: Madyar: 95% of drones are used on battlefield, while rest strike Russia

“I don’t think this exchange rate is good enough,” “Magyar” said.

As reported by Ukrinform, Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that among the challenges Ukraine will face in the near future is an escalation of Russian strikes using missiles and jet-powered drones.