Economist Podcasts Drone wolf: Ukraine’s missile mastermind
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Apr 1, 2026 
Oliver Carroll, The Economist’s Ukraine correspondent, profiles Robert Brovdy, a former grain trader turned drone strategist shaping Ukraine’s battlefield playbook. Matthew Holehouse, public policy editor focused on Britain and Brexit, explores Britain’s slow pull back toward Europe. Plus, why American universities are quietly dropping the old swim test.
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Inside Ukraine's Secret Drone Command Bunker
- Oliver Carroll reached Robert Brovdy through a secret underground command post packed with screens, drones, missiles, paintings, sleeping pods, and a gym.
- Carroll portrays the former grain trader as a chain-smoking, tea-drinking commander who has become central to Ukraine’s drone war.
How A Grain Trader Built Ukraine's First Drone Kill Chain
- Brovdy’s drone revolution began in a Kherson trench when he remembered a drone he had bought for his son and used it to spot Russian tanks.
- He sent coordinates to nearby artillery, creating Ukraine’s first drone kill chain, then later helped weaponize FPV racing drones in Bakhmut.
Gamified Drone Targeting Changed Ukraine's Battlefield Math
- Ukraine shifted drone warfare toward a gamified system that rewards brigades for verified kills and prioritizes Russian personnel, not just hardware.
- Brovdy repurposed grain-trading business software to score video-confirmed strikes, helping drone losses exceed Russian recruitment by December.