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US Secretly Invested $1.5 Billion to Power Ukraine’s Drone Industry
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![Maryna_kulakova]( "Maryna Kulakova")
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Maryna Kulakova")
The administration of US President Joe Biden has declassified the latest details about military support for Ukraine, revealing significant backing for the country's drone industry. According to The New York Times citing American officials, substantial investments were made to help Ukraine initiate and expand the production of drones to counter Russia’s larger and better-equipped military.
This previously undisclosed support focused on assisting Ukraine in developing next-generation drones and innovative warfare methods. In addition to technical assistance, the US allocated significant funding, including $1.5 billion in September 2023, to boost drone production capabilities, NYT reported.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan highlighted the strategic impact of this support on the course of the war, stating, “We saw how UAVs were becoming increasingly central to the fight in Ukraine and will be central to all future fights.”
The US aided Ukrainian drone manufacturers by facilitating the procurement of spare parts and sending intelligence personnel to assist with program development.
Sullivan noted that efforts to enhance Ukraine’s drone capabilities began after its first counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, which exposed the limits of conventional military resources. These efforts continued into 2023, though the challenges faced during the counteroffensive became a learning experience for the US. Russian drones specifically targeted US and European-supplied tanks and armored vehicles as they navigated heavily mined areas.
Following these setbacks, the US rapidly increased support for Ukraine’s drone industry, according to the publication. In addition to financial aid, the Biden administration worked to establish connections between American tech companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
It was previously reported that in December 2024, Ukrainian forces carried out over 54,000 drone strikes on Russian positions, with nearly half—49%—employing suicide drones, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He also highlighted the growing threat posed by Russian drones equipped with fiber-optic control channels, which complicate Ukrainian military maneuvers and pose a significant challenge on the battlefield.
