The Norwegian newspaper VG calls Brovdi "Putin's worst nightmare" - a reputation that certainly contributes to the fact that the drone commander, according to opinion polls cited by the AFP news agency, is one of Ukraine's most popular leaders.
The 50-year-old leads the SBS, or USF, branch of the armed forces. It was created just two years ago. Now SBS is behind greater Russian losses than anyone else, Madjar tells VG, one of the media outlets that has been allowed to visit his secret bunker.
"Most of them will be killed," Brovdi said, referring to Russia's soldiers.
And every third one is killed by my forces.
“Let them go to hell”
The SBS chief emphasizes that he is attacking military targets, for example around Russian-occupied Crimea.
We have not touched the Crimean Bridge, as you noticed, Brovdi says in another interview, with Irish journalist Caolan Robertson.
He adds, addressing Russians who have moved to or are vacationing in Crimea:
Let them leave, let them all go to hell over that bridge. Let them go to Siberia. There they can start over, if they're young enough.
He gives the interviews in front of a large red painting signed by the famous artist Anatoly Kryvolap. His interest in art is one of the things Brovdi has brought into the bunker from the civilian life he lived until four and a half years ago.
He was 46 years old when Russia began its new invasion attempt in February 2022, and then gave up a career as a grain exporter to volunteer.
“Learned quickly”
It wasn't long before Brovdi and some colleagues began experimenting with drones.
"We only had reconnaissance drones, but we learned quickly," he tells the BBC.
We started attaching warheads to them. We could find an enemy with the drone, and then drop a grenade on him.
Brovdi’s nickname, Madjar, means Hungarian, and refers to his roots near Ukraine’s border with Hungary. The drone effort became known as “Madjar’s Birds.” From a few thousand drones imported from China, it has grown to the point where Ukraine is now internationally known as the world’s “drone superpower.” The country produces several million military drones a year, advanced machines that can strike almost anywhere in Russia.
Brovdi's wife Natalya is also part of the drone forces. He believes the life they had before the war will never return.
I understand that, but I do what is required of me, he tells VG.
