Ukraine escalates drone warfare, defying US amidst tensions

Ukraine is disregarding warnings from the US about attacks on Russian territory and is continuing to develop advanced drones capable of reaching targets in Siberia, about 3,000 km from its borders, reports "The Economist".

Since President Volodymyr Zelensky has prioritized this technology, Ukraine has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in long-range drones that can search for and strike distant targets. At present, around half a dozen companies are involved in their production.

"The Economist" highlighted that the drone production program was "born out of necessity" because the West has been hesitant to supply Ukraine with long-range weaponry. The program has been very successful: Ukrainian drones have already damaged parts of the Russian oil and military infrastructure.

"But the White House is not happy. It is pushing the Ukrainians to stop the strikes. America’s concerns have varied, from a rise in the oil price to the prospect of an uncontrollable tit-for-tat in which Ukraine could end up the loser," - "The Economist" reports.

"The Economist" describes how concerns over Russian retaliatory strikes grew at the end of March when Russia launched attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, causing multi-billion-dollar damages to the Ukrainian economy.

"The attacks revealed gaps in air defences and vulnerabilities to Russia’s new Kh-69 low-altitude cruise missile. On 11 April, such missiles destroyed Ukraine’s Trypilska power station, 40 km from Kyiv, though it was in range of the capital’s Patriot air-defence systems," - "The Economist" reports.

The British publication notes that Ukraine continues to ignore US advice to stop the offensive actions. An intelligence officer involved in a part of the program and known by the call sign "Detective," told the magazine he hadn't been instructed to curb operations. He mentioned, however, that targets within the Russian Federation are constantly shifting.

"Our targets change day to day. We keep the Russians on their toes," he was quoted by "The Economist".

One of the Ukrainian drone producers mentioned that not all American officials support the official stance to stop strikes on the Russian Federation. "They’re privately telling us to keep going," he shared with "The Economist".

An interviewee for the magazine predicted that the Ukrainian drone program would expand in the months to come. "Russia is scorching Ukrainian earth. It’s time we did the same to European Russia," he stated.

Source: economist.com, pravda.com.ua