Russia has declared a reward of $20 million for Madjar, who has been convicted in absentia by Russian courts on fabricated charges of terrorism, leading to decades of imprisonment.
Due to the threats to their lives, the commander of the Special Operations Unit and his subordinates are compelled to adhere to strict security protocols.
During an interview with Madjar, the journalist was instructed to disable location services on her phone. The device was then placed in a bag that blocks Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, and GPS signals. For the meeting with Brovdi, she was transported in a car with tinted windows. The unit personnel also employ similar secrecy measures while moving around the country, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Brovdi points out Russia’s heightened interest in him is linked to the heavy losses suffered by the Russian army. He notes that the Special Operations Unit constitutes only 2.5% of the total Armed Forces of Ukraine, yet they account for approximately one-third of all enemy losses over the past year.
According to Madjar, since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Russian army has killed 79 members of the “Madjar Birds.” Their names are inscribed on a wall near the entrance of the command center. As of the day of the interview, the Special Operations Unit has eliminated or injured 656 enemy combatants for each of their fallen warriors.
