The administration of current US President Joe Biden has declassified the last piece of information about military support for Ukraine. The data refers to secret support for the military drone industry.
Points of attention
- The US administration under President Joe Biden declassified secret military support for Ukraine's drone industry, investing in the production of new generation drones with significant strategic impact.
- Cooperation between American technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers enhances the exchange of experience and boosts Ukraine's defense potential through advanced weaponry development.
- Ukraine independently develops military equipment including naval drones and domestic missiles, escalating its defense capabilities and ensuring effective combat in modern warfare scenarios.
- Drones have become a key element of modern military strategy, transforming combat tactics and playing a central role in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
- American investment and support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers, including procurement of spare parts and intelligence assistance, have been crucial in enabling Ukraine to defend itself effectively and innovate in warfare methods.
The US secretly invested in the production of Ukrainian drones
According to American officials, they made major investments that helped Ukraine begin and expand production of drones in the fight against a larger and better-equipped Russian army.
In particular, the support that "remained in the shadows" was aimed at helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionary methods of warfare. After all, in addition to technical support, the United States spent significant funds, in particular $1.5 billion sent in September last year, on developing drone production.
As US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated, this support had a "real strategic impact" on the course of the war.
We have seen drones take an increasingly central place in the fighting in Ukraine and will take a central place in all future battles.
Jake Sullivan
US National Security Advisor
The US helped drone manufacturers procure spare parts. According to people familiar with the events, the US sent intelligence officers to Ukraine to help develop the program.
In an interview this week, CIA Director William J. Burns indirectly mentioned his agency's support for the drone program in Ukraine.
I think our intelligence support has helped the Ukrainians protect themselves. Not just the sharing of intelligence, but also supporting some of the systems that have proven to be so effective.
Sullivan noted that work on drones began after the first Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, when the limits of Ukraine's conventional capabilities became apparent. Work also continued into 2023.
However, the publication writes that the 2023 counteroffensive was a difficult lesson for the Americans in particular. After all, Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles provided by the United States and Europe when they tried to overcome minefields.
After that, the United States quickly increased its support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers. In addition to financial assistance, the Biden administration worked to establish ties between American technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
Weapons production in Ukraine
During the full-scale war, Ukraine significantly increased its weapons production. In particular, we are talking about naval drones, as well as new domestic missiles.
In 2024, it became known that Ukraine had developed the "Palyanytsya" drone missile.
Ukraine has also completed testing a line of UAVs with fiber-optic communication. They provide secure control even in conditions of active use of electronic warfare by the enemy.
