Russia is using criminal networks across the post-Soviet space to offer a reward of $20 million for information that will help locate Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, known as Madyar. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal. Due to the threat, the command of the Unmanned Systems Forces and its personnel are implementing enhanced security measures.
Briefly about the main points
- The reward relates to information that could help establish Robert Brovdi’s whereabouts.
- The offer is being circulated unofficially through criminal networks across the post-Soviet space.
- The WSJ journalist was taken to the SBS checkpoint under strict security protocols.
- Brovdi links Russia’s interest to the effectiveness of its drone units.
- In March 2026, a Russian court sentenced Brovdi to life imprisonment in absentia.
The reward is not being distributed through official channels
As reported by WSJ According to the Unmanned Systems Force, this does not refer to the official reward publicly announced by the Russian authorities. According to this information, Moscow is channelling the relevant offer through criminal networks in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
The formula «$20 million for Magyar’s head», which has been circulating on social media, oversimplifies the content of the report. The publication is specifically referring to a reward for information that would lead to the whereabouts of the SBS commander.
The journalist’s mobile phone was taken away before she travelled to the command post
The conditions under which the WSJ journalist was granted access to the secret command centre illustrate the restrictions in place. Before the trip, she was asked to switch off her location services, put her phone in flight mode and place her smartphone in a special Faraday cage.
This type of cover blocks the reception and transmission of mobile signals, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The journalist was taken to the checkpoint in a car with tinted windows so that she could not see the route. According to the newspaper’s description, the checkpoint is located somewhere in south-eastern Ukraine.
SBS personnel also adhere to similar safety rules.
Brovdi attributes Russia’s interest to the performance of its drone units
Brovdi attributes the Russian side’s particular focus to the activities of Ukrainian drone units. In his view, SBS account for around 2.5% of the total strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, yet they account for approximately one-third of the Russian forces’ casualties over the past year.
These are the figures provided by the commander himself, and it is impossible to independently verify such a ratio in wartime conditions. Brovdi also reported that 79 servicemen have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion «The Birds of Magyar»; their names are inscribed on the wall near the entrance to the command centre.
According to the figures he gave to journalists, for every soldier from his units who was killed, there were 656 Russian soldiers killed or wounded.
From the aerial reconnaissance unit to the Unmanned Systems Forces Command
Brovdi began his service following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. In 2022, he established an aerial reconnaissance unit, which subsequently developed into the «Madjar Birds» and later into the 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade.
In June 2025, Brovdi took command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces. Russian courts convicted him in absentia on charges relating to Ukraine’s military operations, and in March 2026 a Russian military court sentenced him to life imprisonment.
