Ukraine's DIY drone makers are helping fighters on the front lines

The war in Ukraine is now largely being fought with drones. Ukraine made 2 million last year. Drone makers churn them out in factories and mom-and-pop operations like one in a Kyiv basement apartment.

Apr 12, 2025 - 14:56
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Ukraine's DIY drone makers are helping fighters on the front lines
Biophysicist Oleh Halaidych, 34, helps make drones at a workshop in Kyiv. "I think we are all motivated because we see that this is a cheap and accessible way to make weapons," he says. "They kill the enemy and destroy his armored vehicles."

The war in Ukraine is now largely being fought with drones. Ukraine made 2 million last year. Drone makers churn them out in factories and mom-and-pop operations like one in a Kyiv basement apartment.

(Image credit: Anton Shtuka for NPR)