Robert Brovdi, Ukraine drone commander: Striking inside Russia

Robert Brovdi, Ukraine drone commander: Striking inside Russia

From The Interview by BBC World Service

April 30, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

Robert Brovdi discusses the evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine and its impact on the conflict with Russia.

“When we only had reconnaissance drones, we learned fast. We began attaching warheads to the drones. Grenades, then homemade munitions that we produced ourselves. We would locate the enemy with the drone and drop them on him. Then FPV drones entered our lives. An FPV drone is a one-way, disposable drone. That was when the way of war began to change” In a rare interview, Sarah Rainsford speaks to Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, about the rapid evolution of drone warfare and how it is reshaping Russia’s war in Ukraine. Drones are now being used to strike oil facilities and military targets deep inside Russian territory but initially were used just to spot Russian forces. Commander Brovdi was among the first to see their true potential and, as technology advanced, drones began to change everything on the battlefield. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Rainsford

Guest: Robert Brovdi

Topics covered

  • drone warfare
  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • military technology
  • interview
  • conflict

Keywords

  • drone commander
  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • warfare
  • FPV drones
  • military strategy
  • reconnaissance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service, UN

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