US boosts Ukraine's drone capabilities with $1.5bn aid
"The USA secretly helped Ukraine develop a programme of modern drones worth $1.5 billion," reports "The New York Times".
The administration of US President Joe Biden revealed classified information regarding support for Ukraine in the development and production of drones. According to "The New York Times" (NYT), citing American officials, part of the military aid for Ukraine was classified and not publicly announced.
Secret support for Kyiv
This included support in developing a new generation of combat drones. In September of last year, the USA allocated $1.5 billion for this purpose. Additionally, the USA sponsored Ukrainian drone manufacturers, funded the purchase of necessary parts, and sent its intelligence service personnel to allies to support programme development, NYT sources claim.
American investments helped Ukraine launch broad-scale drone production and strengthen the country's capabilities in confronting the larger and better-equipped Russian army, American officials noted.
Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, stated, "We have seen drones become increasingly significant in the war in Ukraine and will play a key role in future battles." He added that the United States' support had a "real strategic impact" on the course of the war in Ukraine.
Sharing intelligence data
"The head of the CIA, William Burns, also mentioned supporting the programme for producing modern drones in Ukraine," writes NYT. According to him, the USA exchanged intelligence data with Kyiv and supported "some systems that proved very effective".
Sullivan noted that active work on new drones began after the first counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces in the autumn of 2022. Efforts were intensified during preparations for the second Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023, which was not as successful, partly due to the active use of drones by Russia. The 2023 counter-offensive was a "tough lesson," as NYT sources said, because Russian drones attacked tanks and armoured vehicles supplied to Ukraine by the USA and Europe as they attempted to navigate minefields.
After the failure of the 2023 campaign, the USA quickly increased support for the Ukrainian drone industry. In addition to financial assistance, the Biden administration worked on establishing connections between American tech companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers. It is also noted that in the autumn of last year, the Pentagon allocated $800 million for drone production in Ukraine. This funding went towards purchasing components and financing enterprises. Biden informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of additional support amounting to $1.5 billion during his visit to Washington in September.
