Ukraine’s drone forces chief Madyar reinforced SBS command with two Hero of Ukraine battlefield commanders

Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS), has appointed two decorated field commanders to senior posts within the SBS command structure, according to a statement published on 31 March.

Oleh "Khasan" Huyt — Hero of Ukraine and former commander of the 427th Separate Brigade "Raroh" of the SBS — has been named Deputy Commander of the SBS. Dmytro "Zemlyak" Oleksyuk — Hero of Ukraine and commander of the State Border Guard Service unit "Feniks" — takes up the role of acting Deputy Commander of the SBS Grouping.

Brovdi framed the appointments in strategic terms. "The general line is clear: all efforts toward spreading combat experience within existing units of the grouping and drone units, reaching average grouping-level effectiveness, scaling the SBS to a continuous closure of the Drone Line along the entire front, and strengthening coordination with army corps," he said.

The commander said the specific tasks assigned to the two officers would not be disclosed publicly, but the direction he outlined points squarely at institutional consolidation and front-wide expansion of the drone line — a system of integrated unmanned aerial coverage along Ukraine's contact line.

March balance sheet

Alongside the personnel announcement, Brovdi published the SBS's March operational results: 10,477 enemy troops eliminated and 37,627 unique enemy targets struck. "The March balance has already been presented to the enemy. The enemy has paid," he wrote.

Looking ahead, Brovdi signaled continued pressure in April: "In April, the conductors and pilots of the SBS are preparing a new symphony."