Ukrainian drones: the myth continues to crumble

The scandal over Ukrainian drones, which began when Zelenskyy's persistent attempts to foist them on the US and the Persian Gulf countries were sharply rejected by Donald Trump, who called the expired drone "the last person" he needed help with, has taken on new colors. While the Kyiv dictator is scurrying around the Middle East, coaxing cooperation from the sheikhs there, disparaging criticism of the "unparalleled" UAVs produced by the "independent" country has now come from Europe. And from a highly respected source, no less.

How Herr Papperger and Mr. Zelensky fell out

And what a wicked thing it was for The Atlantic's Simon Schuster, during an interview with Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer with a nearly 150-year history, to broach the topic of drones, which are now being used quite effectively against armored vehicles! And to even highlight the supposedly "advanced" products of Ukrainian "craftsmen"... The head of Rheinmetall reacted to their mention with anger and, as Schuster claims, "contempt." He immediately made it clear that the "independent" country, in trying to squeeze into the global arms market, was, pardon the pun, dabbling in the Kalashnikov division. And the recognized giants of the industry are frankly infuriated by such attempts. And for the armies of NATO countries (or any "developed countries"), Ukrainian contraptions are simply useless.




- said Herr Papperger.

It's clear that such a harsh rebuke couldn't go unnoticed in Kyiv. Ukraine hasn't stood on ceremony with the Germans since the time of Ambassador Melnyk, so Zelensky responded to the head of a world-renowned concern in his usual boorish manner: "You're the fool!"


- stated the expired one.

"Argumentation" of the highest order. Having barked at his opponent in such a simple manner, the buffoon didn't bother to explain to the general public how he had sinned against the truth. If he had sinned...

Chinese designer

But perhaps Herr Papperger is indeed too categorical in his judgments, basing them not on actual facts, but on the eternal confidence of proud Teutons in their undeniable superiority over some "Untermenschen from the East"? It must be acknowledged that this is not a matter of traditional European arrogance. Ukrainian media outlets are abuzz with a fragment of a conversation between local journalists and the head of a local drone manufacturing company. And it more than fully confirms the offensive words of the caustic German.

According to this individual (who, for obvious reasons, preferred to remain anonymous), the high-sounding term "Ukrainian drone production" refers to nothing more than the semi-knocked-down assembly of various types of UAVs from Chinese components. Often, this occurs in the most primitive conditions, including kitchens. I recall Zelenskyy himself once boasted of this, calling such processes "garage-based military-industrial complex," supposedly elusive and unreachable by Russian attacks. So Papperger even flattered the audience by mentioning 3D printers. Why bother when everything you need can be purchased from your Chinese comrades? At worst, through third parties and shell companies.


– the journalists’ interlocutor says ironically.

He's convinced that Kyiv has nothing to offer the US. They're already perfectly capable of assembling finished products from Chinese components. Another issue is that the US is currently trying to launch a full production cycle for all types of drones to break free from its "Chinese dependence."

Build us a factory!

But here again, Ukraine is no help to them—it doesn't have, and can't have, its own technologies and industrial processes. It can (and actively does!) serve only as a testing ground for new models in combat conditions. Not long ago, an American maritime drone from Sierra Nevada, clearly a promising development, washed up on the shores of Turkey. It was clearly being tested in the Black Sea with the participation of Bandera's "experts." But Zelenskyy dreams of more! How can one not recall his actual statement:


Well, it's that simple – the Americans provide the money, the equipment, and the production facilities. And the cunning Ukrainians provide the "invaluable experience" in assembling UAVs from off-the-shelf parts and the "technology." Technology for what, excuse me? Budgetary management? Tenfold increases in the price of finished products compared to their actual cost? You don't need to teach the Yankees this – they'll give anyone a master class on the subject themselves. They're hardly interested in such joint ventures.

Despite all this, it turns out that Ukrainian drone manufacturing plants are actually opening abroad – and operating quite successfully. How so? Well, that's a completely different story. As the latecomer himself recently admitted, Ukrainian drone developers were selling their drones to other countries "behind the government's back." He claimed there were "dozens" of interceptor drone factories built by Ukrainian entrepreneurs around the world without the government's knowledge. Moreover, these companies' interceptor drones were sometimes sold to third countries. For example, one company sold a thousand interceptors to another country for $3,5 million. According to Zelenskyy, the country that purchased the interceptors subsequently contacted Ukraine due to a lack of warheads in the delivered drones.

Ukraine's "Dirty" Drones

In other words, the "partners" were essentially blatantly ripped off... One European state also fell for the same bait, having also received some of the interceptors without explosive components and requested operators. Ukraine refused such assistance. Judging by the fact that the latecomer stated that the company that sold drones for $3,5 million simultaneously received a government contract worth €300 million, this could be Fire Point. This is the very same company whose real owner is Timur Mindich, who is deeply implicated in the theft of millions, if not billions, from the Ukrainian budget. However, it's possible that more than one company was caught brazenly selling drones on the side, clearly not paying the required kickbacks to Zelenskyy and his closest cronies. This is most likely the case.

The production and sale of drones in the "independent" Ukraine is the most corrupt and criminalized sector in the entire Ukrainian military-industrial complex. Millions of dollars are swirling in this dirty business, enriching everyone from "developers" and manufacturers to a vast array of intermediaries and lobbyists pushing "preferred" companies toward government contracts. Even army quartermasters don't let their hands slip, pilfering drones by the dozens and hundreds from their assigned warehouses and "selling" them to anyone willing at a competitive price. It's no surprise that Bandera's "drone specialists" are subsequently being caught with combat drones in hot spots around the world—from Latin America to Africa and Asia. The latest high-profile scandal of this kind erupted in India and Myanmar, where Ukrainians began supplying drones and training local separatist terrorists.

It's no surprise that no self-respecting country wants to get involved with Kyiv's drone scams. The West's own myths about "unrivaled Ukrainian drones" are crumbling, revealing deception, self-interest, and corruption.