The New Weapon Russia Fears Most

Editor's note: When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, it seemed like a "David versus Goliath" scenario. But as Joel Litman from our corporate affiliate Altimetry explains, one key innovation let Ukraine level the playing field. In this issue, recently published in Altimetry Daily Authority, Joel discusses how this innovation is reshaping warfare... and how investors can get ahead of this trend.

On May 9, Russia held its annual Victory Day Parade to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II... but something was missing.

As usual, soldiers marched through Moscow while President Vladimir Putin watched from the reviewing stand.

But the tanks and heavy artillery that had been fixtures of the procession for almost 20 years were nowhere to be found.

Russian officials had ordered that large vehicles and weapons remain on the front lines in the war with Ukraine. For once, they feared an attack during the ceremony.

A parade intended to display Russian power had become a security risk. And it was all thanks to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi.

Brovdi is one of Russia's top assassination targets...

He's the head of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. Most importantly, he created the 414th Brigade – an elite unit known as Madyar's Birds.

He happened to join Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces shortly before Russia's full-scale attack in February 2022. And in one of his first firefights, his unit was caught off guard by an enemy bombardment.

After the incident, Brovdi sought a way to locate the enemy without sending another soldier into danger. Then he had an epiphany.

And as I'll explain today, it completely changed the dynamics of modern warfare.

How Tiny Vehicles Create a Huge Advantage

Brovdi had once purchased a small drone for his children.

He realized a drone could relay images of Russian positions to Ukrainian artillery crews, who could then adjust their aim.

So Brovdi brought similar civilian models to the front lines for surveillance, giving his unit a better view of the battlefield. His soldiers started adding weapons to the drones, making them even bigger threats... and creating the force known today as Madyar's Birds.

It has been more than a year since Brovdi took over Ukraine's drone operation. In that time, the country has increased its number of strikes by 28-fold.

Drone flights deep into enemy territory have increased almost fourfold. And Brovdi's birds have destroyed more than $5 billion worth of Russian equipment so far this year.

As of 2025, drones caused as much as 80% of battlefield casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war. That's up from less than 10% in 2022.

Within four years of being deployed, these inexpensive, unmanned aircraft forced machines worth millions of dollars into hiding.

Putin once expected to drive quickly through Ukraine. But by 2026, his government was planning its most important military ceremony around the possibility of Ukrainian drones reaching Moscow.

This is what the modern battlefront looks like...

Militaries today need to replace equipment and adapt their tactics at an extraordinary speed. As Brovdi has shown with his birds, it takes only a few years to build a threat capable of bringing one of the biggest military forces in the world to its knees.

The U.S. is taking this modernization threat seriously, too. We're strengthening our military forces. We're expanding our defenses in orbit. And we're building the same kinds of unmanned drone systems that are proving decisive on Ukraine's front lines.

That work requires years of investment... and a defense industry capable of handling projects across the sea, the sky, and in space.

This is a great time for folks to dive headfirst into defense stocks. The companies at the forefront of this rebuild will give investors exposure to the systems that will defend our future.

Regards,

Joel Litman

Editor's note: The Iran war has depleted America's munitions stockpile to "dangerously low" levels, according to CNN. Joel, who has consulted for the Pentagon, says the defense industry is about to get turned upside down... and create a once-in-a-century chance to build generational wealth. If you missed his urgent briefing yesterday, check out a replay here.