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US Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Reportedly Eyes Takeover of Ukrainian Drone Industry
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Erik Prince, the founder of the private military company Blackwater, has expressed interest in purchasing Ukrainian drone manufacturers, according to The Guardian on September 7.
The outlet, citing unnamed sources, reported that Prince is actively promoting his services in Ukraine through his current company, Vectus Global.
The Guardian noted that Prince has sought to meet with representatives of Ukraine’s rapidly growing drone sector, offering investment and acquisition proposals. However, the attempts have not been successful. Ukrainian drone firms are considered strategic assets, and current legislation makes them difficult to acquire.
The publication also reported that Prince, who has long-standing ties to US President Donald Trump’s administration, is pursuing a business model similar to his earlier ventures in conflict zones.
One former US special forces soldier with experience in Ukraine told The Guardian that private military companies without drones or electronic warfare systems are “virtually unable to operate in modern conditions.”
Prince, a former US Navy officer, founded Blackwater in 1997. The company became one of the most prominent private contractors during US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing security for the CIA, State Department, and Pentagon.
In 2007, however, Blackwater was blacklisted after contractors were involved in a shooting in Baghdad’s Nisour Square that killed 17 civilians, according to The Guardian. The firm later rebranded as Xe Services and then as Academi.
According to The Guardian, Prince has previously attempted to expand his operations in Ukraine. In 2020, he proposed a multibillion-dollar plan to the Ukrainian government to use his private forces in Donetsk region, though the idea was ultimately rejected.
His reputation was further complicated by an initiative in China, where he was linked to efforts to create a private security company involving former members of the People’s Liberation Army. Intelligence sources told the newspaper this made him “universally untouchable by most people” in the defense industry.
Ukraine’s drone sector has become central to its defense strategy, with FPV drones, reconnaissance systems, and loitering munitions widely deployed on the battlefield. The Guardian suggested Prince’s interest is part of a broader push by Western investors to gain access to Ukraine’s rapidly advancing drone technologies.
Earlier, NATO’s top commander General Alexus G. Grynkewich said Ukraine’s rapid adoption of drone and digital warfare technologies should serve as a benchmark for the alliance, stressing that NATO must cut bureaucratic delays and deliver new capabilities in weeks, not years.
-24ca8683eb01b729cd8fae98f952003a.jpg "Ukrainian Ratel-S drone equipped with a downed Shahed warhead. (Source: omelyanovi4/Instagram)")
-0158b6b681e3668f470de36aedad9e3c.jpg "Russian Su-24 bomber moments before Ukrainian drone strike, Crimea. (Source: HUR)")
