Ukraine is preparing a major agreement with the United States on joint drone production, as technologies are constantly being improved and next year our country will have UAVs with a range of 5,000–10,000 kilometers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with American far-right blogger Laura Loomer.
Zelenskyy stressed that technological development in unmanned aircraft is moving extremely fast, and the drones themselves are updated every three to six months.
As early as this year, Ukraine and Russia will have drones with an operational range of more than 4,000 kilometers, and next year that distance will reach between 5,000 and 10,000 kilometers, the Ukrainian president said. Combining Ukraine’s combat experience with American technologies will make the “drone deal” beneficial for both countries.
Zelenskyy emphasized his intention to conclude the largest agreement in the field of unmanned systems with the United States. According to the president, Ukraine has already shared with its American partners unique experience in conducting modern high-tech warfare, directly providing its own naval, aerial, and long-range drones for testing and training. American military officials acknowledge that without this experience, the United States would have needed 10 to 20 years to reach this level of expertise, the Ukrainian president said.
At present, the sides are preparing to sign the second stage of the agreement with President Donald Trump, and the relevant document is already practically ready. The document provides for the rollout of production lines and the construction of a large plant directly on U.S. territory, Zelenskyy said.