The Biden administration has declassified the last of its information on how it has helped Ukraine. It is an explanation of support for the country's military drone industry, which was once secret.
U.S. officials announced Thursday that they have made a huge investment to help Ukraine begin and expand production of unmanned aircraft to fight a large and well-equipped Russian military.
Much of the U.S. aid to Ukraine's military, including billions of dollars in missiles, air defense systems, tanks, artillery, and training, has been made public to the public. However, most other support is provided in the shadows.
U.S. officials say this includes helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionize the way wars are waged.
While innovations in Ukraine's drone industry have been hailed as transformative, US support is poorly understood. In addition to technical assistance, the United States has spent significant funds to boost Ukraine's drone production, including $1.5 billion sent last September, officials said.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the aid had a “real strategic impact” on the war.
Sullivan referenced unmanned aerial vehicles in a statement Thursday, saying, “We are seeing unmanned aerial vehicles becoming central to the fight in Ukraine, and will be central to all future fights.” said.
The U.S. effort included support for drone manufacturers and funding to buy parts. The United States also sent intelligence officials to Ukraine to help build the plan, according to people with knowledge of the effort.
CIA Director William J. Burns indirectly mentioned his support for the drone program in Ukraine in an interview this week.
“I think our intelligence support helped the Ukrainians protect themselves,” Burns said. “It's not just intelligence sharing, but also support for some very effective systems.”
The White House declassified information about Russia's plans to attack Ukraine ahead of the invasion. Throughout the war, authorities have routinely declassified information about Iranian and North Korean arms shipments to Russia.
Sullivan said the drone effort began after Ukraine's first counterattack in the fall of 2022, when the limits of Ukraine's conventional capabilities became clear.
Sullivan said efforts had accelerated in preparation for a second Ukrainian counterattack. In 2023, this effort was ultimately not very successful. Due in part to Russia's use of drones, Ukraine was unable to expand its influence as much as expected.
U.S. officials said the 2023 blowback taught a harsh lesson. Russian drones attacked tanks and armored vehicles provided by the United States and Europe as they were passing through a minefield.
After the blowback, U.S. officials said they rapidly expanded support for Ukrainian drone makers, building on Kiev's efforts to grow its own industry. In addition to funding, the Biden administration also worked to build relationships between U.S. technology companies and Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
Last fall, the Pentagon allocated $800 million to Ukraine's drone production, which will be used to buy drone parts and provide funding to drone manufacturers. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the White House in September, President Biden said an additional $1.5 billion would be directed to Ukraine's drone industry.
U.S. officials said Thursday they believe the investment has made Ukraine's drones more effective and deadly. They noted that Ukrainian maritime drones destroyed a quarter of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and that forward-deployed drones helped slow Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine.
Sullivan said the move to build Ukraine's drone industry provided “valuable lessons” for the Biden administration to begin integrating into the U.S.'s own defense industry.
