In part of the information on military aid to Ukraine, which was declassified by the administration of US President Joe Biden, we are talking about secret support for the military industry in the field of drones.
This is reported by the newspaper The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials.
As they note, against the backdrop of the fight against a larger and better-equipped Russian army, significant investments in this area helped Ukraine begin and expand the production of drones.
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US support for drone production in Ukraine
The aid, which was classified, was directed to support Ukraine in the development of a new generation of drones and revolutionary methods of conducting wars. It is known that the US provided not only technical support, but also allocated significant funds, in particular $1.5 billion in the fall of 2024, to develop drone production.
According to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, this assistance has had a “strategic” impact on the course of the war.
— We have seen drones take an increasingly central role in the fight in Ukraine and will take a central role in all future fights, — he noted.
In addition, the US efforts have also included helping drone manufacturers purchase spare parts. The United States has sent intelligence officers to Ukraine to help develop the program, according to people familiar with the matter.
In an interview this week, CIA Director William J. Burns alluded indirectly to his agency's support for Ukraine's drone program.
— I think our intelligence support has helped the Ukrainians protect themselves. Not just sharing intelligence, but also supporting some of the systems that have proven so effective, — Burns said.
In addition, Sullivan also 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 clear. The work also continued in 2023.
However, as the NYT writes, citing information from American officials, the 2023 counteroffensive became a “hard lesson” for them, since Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles sent by the US and Europe when they tried to overcome minefields.
After this, the US increased support for Ukrainian UAV manufacturers. In addition to financial assistance, the White House worked to establish ties between American technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
