Reporting From Ukraine:https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/videosExcerpts from the video transcript:
Just in Time! Thousands of Latvian Drones Flood The Front Line!
Today [ May 16, 8 pm ], there is interesting news from the Pokrovsk direction ... the international effort to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia, led by the Drone coalition, with Latvia at its forefront is set to deliver 12,000 drones this year already by June. As a result, the deadliest drone brigade, Magyar’s Birds, responsible for the hottest part of the frontline has already decimated multiple brigades of the Russian vanguard ... The Drone Coalition was officially formed in early 2024 under the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Co-led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, this international initiative was created to supply Ukraine with massive quantities of unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems, and supporting technologies ... composed of 16 countries, including Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden, the coalition is supposed to have delivered 1,000,000 drones of various types by February this year.
... Latvia has emerged as a pivotal partner in this effort, as the country that started the initiative and coordinated with the UK to get the bigger countries involved. Last year, the country pledged over 5,000 drones, ranging from reconnaissance to FPV strike drones. These are produced by 7 Latvian defense firms ... By delivering 12,000 drones in the first half of this year, Latvia seems to have almost quintupled its yearly production compared to last year. Backed by a €20,000,000 investment, Latvia’s aid also includes drone operator training and technical support, amplifying the operational effectiveness of Ukrainian drone units across the front lines ... around Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian drone warfare, spearheaded by the Magyar’s Birds drone unit, has devastated Russian logistics and troop movements in thousands. Drone strikes here have crippled supply convoys and positions, enabling Ukrainian counterattacks that secured key ground vital for Pokrovsk’s defense. Founded by Robert Brovdi, callsign Magyar, it evolved from a small team into a full-fledged brigade, comprising drone pilots, engineers, electronic warfare specialists, and intelligence officers. They operate in decentralized teams, focused on deep surveillance, kamikaze drone strikes, and electronic disruption - often destroying Russian artillery and air defense systems far beyond the frontline.
Latvia’s drones play a direct role in enabling their missions. With FPV drones now being mass-produced and supplied by Latvian companies, Magyar’s Birds can maintain a high operational tempo without fear of depletion ... The level of foreign support has proven to be force-multiplying ... according to Magyar, the unit now averages a successful strike every 6 1/2 minutes, a rate that continues to rise, as experience and support grow. In total, Magyar’s Birds have inflicted heavy losses on Russian personnel and equipment, with Magyar himself estimating a kill to loss ratio of around 1,000 enemy combatants for each drone operator lost ... in the first 10 days of April alone, Magyar’s Birds managed to eliminate 564 Russian soldiers and wound 311 other targets, which means that 1 Ukrainian drone brigade is eliminating 1 full Russian assault brigade every 4 weeks ... the unit releases constant video footage of their operations, serving a psychological warfare function by sowing fear and hesitation among Russian forces and potential recruits.
... the success of Ukraine’s drone warfare efforts underscores the critical importance of the Drone Coalition’s work. With Latvia multiplying its production numbers 5-fold in just one year, its support, and that of other allied nations, remains vital for Ukrainian forces to stay ahead in drone warfare. It enables frontline units like Magyar’s Birds to dominate key sectors such as Pokrovsk, denying the Russians initiative and exhausting their combat strength. With new technologies, such as drones with fiber-optic connections offering fire control, regardless of enemy electronic warfare, the potential exists to strike deeper and harder than ever before.
