Zelenskyy: US testing Ukrainian drones, gave 'very positive feedback'

Published Jul 10, 12:54 AM UTC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the United States is testing Ukrainian-made aerial and maritime drones and has provided 'very positive feedback,' marking the first real movement on a long-stalled multibillion-dollar drone production deal. The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged at the NATO summit in Ankara to grant Ukraine a license to build its own Patriot interceptors, addressing a critical shortage exacerbated by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran which depleted interceptor stocks. Zelenskyy presented the Patriot license and drone deal as separate tracks but both advancing Ukraine's defense capabilities. The full drone partnership, valued at $35-50 billion, would involve a 50-50 production venture with up to 200 Ukrainian companies but remains unsigned pending Trump's approval. Ukraine's defense industry is described as 'at NATO level,' and the country has already built 100,000 drones in 2025, doubling production pace in early 2026. The Patriot shortage has forced Ukrainian crews to ration interceptors during attacks, with air defenses downing 92% of Shahed drones in May using cheaper interceptor drones.