Undisclosed (Ukraine) (AFP) – From his underground post, the commander of Ukraine's unmanned forces, Robert Brovdi, known as "Madyar", has been meticulously planning increasingly frequent strikes deep into Russian territory, which he sees as retribution for Russia's invasion.
Issued on: 17/05/2026 - 18:28
3 min Reading time
He gave a recent exclusive interview to AFP, before the latest wave of attacks, in which Kyiv launched nearly 600 drones over Russia and killed four people.Ukraine's deep strikes, Madyar and officials said, target defence industry and oil facilities to deprive Russia of the resources it needs to continue the war."The sources of funding for Putin's war expenses... have become legitimate and priority military targets in any area, in any part of the territory of the occupying country, whether we are talking about the south, the Urals, or Siberia," he said.Ukraine has struck deeper and more regularly into Russian territory in recent months.Kyiv says attacks across Russian territory, including on Tuapse and Primorsk, have inflicted billions in losses, with Russian authorities reporting some casualties.Madyar said Ukraine's expanded strikes inside Russian territory were driven by several factors -- more resources, a strategic shift and the gradual dismantling of Russian air-defence systems."The enemy built a wall consisting of many elements of air defence... we had to cut a door open to get through," he said.His forces systematically prioritised targeting Russian air defence starting in December 2025, he said.'Cannot predict'There was still a long way to go before destroying the entire air-defence network, but effects are starting to be felt, he added."We realised that there isn't that much air defence left to destroy to gain access deep into the territory," he said."The territory is so vast, and there are so many sensitive targets within it, that the enemy cannot predict where we will fly tomorrow," Madyar said.
