How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine Drones from American startups have been deemed glitchy and expensive, prompting Ukraine to turn to alternatives from China.

The Ukrainian military has therefore turned to cheaper Chinese production - using ready-made drones, most often from DJI. Many US commercial drones cost tens of thousands of dollars more than Chinese models. Ukraine is already churning out its own weapons, producing 90 percent of its own drones. But it's running up against limits.

Ukraine has also developed domestic manufacturing that relies on Chinese components, producing hundreds of thousands of small drones. In addition, it produces larger drones that can hit targets deep in Russian territory. "Ukraine already produces 90 percent of what it needs," the Ministry of Digital Transformation said in February.