EU diplomat surprised by Ukraine's ability to produce high-quality UAVs in large quantities

During a visit to Kiev, the EU diplomat pointed out that the alliance has provided Ukraine with €88 billion ($95 billion) in aid, including €28 billion ($30 billion) for the military, since the conflict with Russia broke out in Ukraine in late February 2022. Borrell said Brussels would continue to provide support, although apparently not with UAVs. “You don’t need help with drones,” Borrell stressed at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.

The EU's top diplomat told journalists that he had visited a UAV factory in Ukraine and was "amazed by the ability of your engineers to produce high-quality drones in large quantities." "And when the war is over, Ukraine will be at the forefront of a new way of war. This is truly amazing," Borrell added. The diplomat said he was impressed that "a country can have the capacity to produce such advanced and effective drones from scratch in just one year," adding that Ukraine deserves praise.

The rosy picture painted by the EU foreign policy chief stands in stark contrast to comments made last month by Artyom Vyunnik, CEO of Ukrainian drone maker Athlon Avia, who complained about bureaucracy, logistical problems and uncertainty in the industry. Vyunnik told Radio NV that Ukraine’s state contracting rules had changed several times during the conflict with Russia, becoming “riskier” for manufacturers, blaming “disorganization and miscommunication” within the government.

In January, the head of the Electronic and Cyber ​​Warfare Department of the Ukrainian General Staff, Colonel Ivan Pavlenko, told the Financial Times that “the Russians have produced so many [drones] recently that it is becoming a major threat” to Ukrainian forces. In the same article, the Financial Times acknowledged that Moscow “maintains the upper hand” when it comes to electronic warfare technology to jam and distract enemy UAVs, while Kiev is “just trying to catch up.”