US secretly invests in developing drone production in Ukraine – The New York Times
Illustrative photo: The US secretly invested in the development of drone production in Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Biden administration has declassified the latest details of its military assistance to Ukraine, highlighting previously undisclosed support for Ukraine's drone industry, the New York Times reports.
According to US officials, they made major investments that helped Ukraine begin and expand the production of UAVs to fight a larger and better-equipped Russian army.
In particular, the support that "largely went on in the shadows" was aimed at helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionary methods of warfare. In addition to technical support, the United States spent significant funds, including $1.5 billion sent last September, to develop drone production.
As US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, this support had a "real strategic impact" on the war's course.
"We saw how UAVs were becoming increasingly central to the fight in Ukraine and will be central to all future fights," Sullivan said, referring to drones.
The United States helped drone manufacturers purchase spare parts. According to people familiar with the matter, the country has also sent intelligence personnel to Ukraine to help develop the program.
In an interview this week, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, referred indirectly to his agency's support for the drone program in Ukraine.
"I think our intelligence support has helped the Ukrainians to defend themselves. Not just in the sharing of intelligence, but support for some of the systems that have been so effective," Mr. Burns said.
Sullivan noted that work on the drones began after the first Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall of 2022 when the limits of Ukraine's conventional capabilities became apparent. The work also continued into 2023. However, the 2023 counteroffensive was a hard lesson for the Americans. After all, Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles provided by the United States and Europe when they tried to overcome minefields.
The United States then quickly increased its support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers. In addition to financial assistance, the Biden administration worked to build relationships between US technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
According to Sullivan, these efforts intensified in preparation for Ukraine's second counteroffensive. That offensive in 2023 ultimately proved less successful. Ukraine failed to regain as much ground as it had hoped, in part due to Russia's use of drones.
According to US officials, the 2023 counteroffensive was a hard lesson. Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles provided by the US and Europe as they tried to clear minefields.
After the counteroffensive, US officials said they quickly increased their support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers, building on Kyiv's efforts to develop its own industry. In addition to financial assistance, the Biden administration has worked to establish ties between American technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
Weapons production in Ukraine
During the full-scale war, Ukraine significantly increased weapons production. Here, we should mention naval drones and new domestic missiles. In particular, in 2024, Ukraine developed the Palianytsia missile-drone.
As previously reported, Ukraine successfully tested fiber-optic drones. These UAVs provide protected control even in conditions of active use of electronic warfare by the enemy.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to introduce new types of weapons. For instance, we wrote about the features and technology of domestically produced Peklo and Ruta missiles and the Tryzub air defense laser system.
For more details, read our material on the topic.
