The 414th Marine Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Regiment (414 OPUBAS) (Ukrainian: 414-й окремий полк ударних безпілотних авіаційних систем, romanized: 414-y okremyy polk udarnykh bezpilotnykh aviatsiynykh system) is a unit of the Ukrainian Marine Corps, formed on January 16, 2024 on the basis of the company-tactical group "Birds of Magyar", which was under the command of Robert Brovdi ("Magyar") as part of the 59th Motorized Brigade.[1] Created as a battalion, it became the first separate unit of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[2]
The unit specializes in attack drones, Signals intelligence and Electronic warfare systems, remote mining, patrolling, and adjusting fire by using drones.[3]
The unit was founded by Ukrainian businessman Robert Brovdi under the pseudonym "Magyar". On February 7, 2022, he joined the Territorial Defense Forces, where at the beginning of the invasion he performed combat missions as a platoon leader. In April, the unit was transferred to the Kherson direction, where he decided to engage in aerial reconnaissance and created "Birds of Magyar".[4]
The unit took part in the Battle of Bakhmut, where it held the defense for 110 days, until it was ordered to withdraw in March 2023.[5]
On January 16, 2024, according to Brovdi's report, the unit had fought for 692 days in battles for Kherson, Krynky, Soledar, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marinka and Urozhaine in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 16 soldiers had received the "Order of Courage".[1]
On January 16, 2024, the unit was transferred from the 59th OMPBr to the Marine Corps as the 414th Marine UAV Strike Unmanned Systems Battalion (414 OBUBAS).
At the end of June 2024, Brovdi reported that the battalion was reflagged to a regiment and reorganized with new structural elements: a unit for interception and destruction of UAVs, a unit for experimental unmanned systems and a unit for the development and implementation of new systems. With the reorganization, the regiment plans to develop its own drone operator training capabilities, as well as production facilities.[3]