
Ukrainian military leaders stress it would be ‘nearly impossible’ to fight Russia without drones
CNN
Ukraine’s military commander in charge of the country’s drone warfare program urged the US and NATO countries alike on Wednesday to learn from Kyiv’s use of the technology on the battlefield so in the future there are not “hard questions from your children [about] when [their] father will come back.”
Ukraine’s military commander in charge of the country’s drone warfare program urged the US and NATO countries alike on Wednesday to learn from Kyiv’s use of the technology on the battlefield so in the future there are not “hard questions from your children [about] when [their] father will come back.” “We paid with lives to get this expertise,” Maj. Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the head of the Ukrainian military’s new Unmanned Systems branch, said during a panel discussion at the Association of the US Army’s meeting in Wiesbaden, Germany. “But you can get this expertise out of us, and we will support you the same way you’ve supported us during this war.” Brovdi spoke at the AUSA conference alongside Brig. Gen. Volodymyr Horbatiuk, the deputy chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They repeatedly emphasized the importance of using drones in warfare. Horabiuk said it is “nearly impossible” to conduct the majority of their warfighting functions without drones, listing off examples of their use including for logistics on the battlefield and intercepting aerial threats, as well as striking assets deep inside Russia — something the world watched in June when Ukraine conducted a large-scale drone attack on Russian airbases thousands of miles from the front lines. Brovdi and Horbatiuk’s comments come just two days after President Donald Trump vowed to send more air defenses to Ukraine, making a stark shift in his approach to the war as he has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid efforts to reach a peace agreement. They also came hours after Russia launched a barrage of hundreds of drones towards four key regions in Ukraine, hitting multiple cities including the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Asked Wednesday what the audience at the conference should know about fighting against the Russians, Horbatiuk answered bluntly, “Don’t trust Russia.” The packed ballroom, full of NATO military and civilian defense industry officials, broke into laughter and applause. “Remember that any agreement with them doesn’t cost even the paper.” Brovdi elaborated further on Wednesday, telling CNN that putting faith in Putin is “not respectful to yourself.”







