The New York Times reports that the U.S. has secretly invested in the development of drone production in Ukraine.

The administration of the current U.S. President Joe Biden has declassified the latest portion of information regarding military support for Ukraine. The data reveals secret assistance to the drone manufacturing industry.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing The New York Times.

According to American officials, they have made significant investments that have enabled Ukraine to initiate and expand drone production in its fight against a larger and better-equipped Russian army.

Specifically, the support that "remained in the shadows" was aimed at assisting Ukraine in developing a new generation of drones and revolutionary warfare methods. In addition to technical support, the U.S. spent considerable funds, particularly $1.5 billion sent in September of last year, to enhance drone production.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that this support has had "real strategic impact" on the course of the war.

"We have seen drones play an increasingly central role in the fight in Ukraine and they will occupy a central place in all future battles," Sullivan remarked, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.

The U.S. has assisted drone manufacturers in procuring spare parts. According to sources familiar with the events, the States sent intelligence personnel to Ukraine to aid in developing 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 believe our intelligence support has helped the Ukrainians defend themselves. Not just sharing intelligence but also supporting some systems that turned out to be so effective," Mr. Burns said.

Sullivan noted that work on drones began after the first Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, when the limitations of Ukraine's conventional capabilities became evident. The efforts continued into 2023. However, as the publication writes, the 2023 counteroffensive served as a tough lesson for Americans in particular. Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles provided by the U.S. and Europe as they attempted to cross minefields.

Following this, the U.S. rapidly increased support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers. In addition to financial aid, the Biden administration worked on establishing connections between American tech companies and Ukrainian drone producers.

According to Sullivan, these efforts intensified during the preparations for Ukraine's second counteroffensive. This offensive in 2023 ultimately proved less successful. Ukraine was unable to reclaim as many positions as it had hoped, particularly due to Russia's use of drones.

American officials stated that the 2023 counteroffensive became a hard lesson. Russian drones targeted tanks and armored vehicles supplied by the U.S. and Europe as they attempted to navigate minefields.

After the counteroffensive, American officials said they quickly increased support for Ukrainian drone manufacturers, building on Kyiv's efforts to develop its own industry. Besides financial assistance, the Biden administration worked on establishing ties between American tech companies and Ukrainian drone producers.

Weapon Production in Ukraine

During the full-scale war, Ukraine significantly ramped up its weapon production. In particular, this includes maritime drones and new domestically produced missiles. In 2024, it was reported that Ukraine developed the drone missile "Palyanytsya."

Earlier, we reported that Ukraine completed tests of a series of UAVs with fiber-optic communication. They ensure secure control even under conditions of active electronic warfare by the enemy.

Ukraine continues to implement new types of weaponry. We have discussed the features of the application and technology of domestically produced missiles "Peklo" and "Ruta," as well as the laser air defense system "Trizub."

For more details - see the article by RBK-Ukraine.