Ukrainian drone commander Robert Browdi has demanded that the German Bundeswehr integrate drone technology and defensive capabilities more effectively. According to Browdi, who stated the drones would become a “plague of the millennium” to “Der Tagesspiegel”, this technology poses risks far beyond traditional armies, potentially being utilized by terrorists or other hostile actors for hybrid warfare or attacks.
The major of the Ukrainian armed forces stressed that the German Bundestag must acknowledge the inevitability of drone transformation within the Bundeswehr; the entire military establishment, rather than just individual units, must adapt to this technology.
Speaking from his own experience, Browdi described a stark contrast between the equipment of his early days in the Ukrainian army-where he fought with a simple Kalashnikov-and the present day, where drones are now the dominant weapon in the war. He believes that in 2022, Ukraine could have potentially halted the Russian invasion if it had possessed the type of long-range drones currently in use. With such technology, he argues, forces could have spotted Russian movements 150 kilometers away and mined their approach routes. This capability, he adds, would also allow Ukraine to better defend against hypothetical Russian attacks on the Baltic region.
Browdi’s units are actively targeting Russian supply chains, including the large online retailer “Wildberries.” He announced their intention to attack all of the retailer’s warehouses, asserting that “Wildberries will no longer be able to operate in Russia.” To date, his units have struck 24 warehouses belonging to the “Russian Amazon.” The commander justifies these attacks because the platform sells military equipment to Russian soldiers, classifying it as a legitimate military objective for the army.
Furthermore, Browdi suggests these strikes against Russia’s domestic infrastructure are intended to erode the sense of security among the Russian populace, limiting consumer comfort and access to necessities like gasoline. He believes that by making the war more tangible for the Russian people, many may come to question the conflict itself.
The conflict remains intensely dynamic, with Russia ramping up its air strikes against Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets. Moscow is capitalizing on the temporary lack of US Patriot defense missiles, which Ukraine relies on to intercept ballistic missiles. Browdi stated that directly attacking Russian ballistic missile launchers is technically complex and requires an internet connection that penetrates into Russia itself. He noted that Ukraine is currently attempting, without success, to convince the American company Starlink to provide internet access in a limited area near the Ukrainian border, specifically for the protection of its civilian population.
