Declassified documents reveal once-secret US investments into Ukraine’s drone industry

Newly declassified documents by the outgoing US administration lay out how Joe Biden secretly supported Ukraine's drone production industry. 

This revelation was made official on January 16, as Caliber.Az reports citing US media outlets. According to American officials, Washington made "substantial investments" that enabled Kyiv to initiate and expand their drone production for the battle against advancing Russian forces. 

While much of the US support to Ukraine has been announced publicly, including the billions of dollars provided in the form of missiles, air defense systems and training, other assistances have been made in the shadows, including "helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionize how wars are fought."

According to media outlets, the US has allocated $1.5 billion in funding for Ukraine's drone production last year, which US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan believes had a "real strategic impact" on the war. The US support to enhance Ukraine's drone production capabilities began after Kyiv's first counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, Sullivan clarified. 

The declassified documents also note on US intelligence personnel having been sent to Ukraine to support the development of the drone program, with CIA Director William J. Burns speaking of his agency's indirect involvement in the effort. 

By Nazrin Sadigova