Stolen Russian money will help Kyiv produce 7 million drones a year, says former CIA chief

Western countries need to establish a permanent presence in Ukraine in terms of studying drone warfare, but not in headquarters and ministries, as is done now, but directly in combat units.

The former CIA director stated this David Petraeus at the Cipher Brief Threat Conference 2025, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.

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«We only produce a few hundred thousand drones a year, while Ukraine produces 3-3,5 million a year. And if they receive the money the EU plans to transfer to them through Euroclear bonds, they will likely be able to double that number.How can we catch up with them? It all starts with the concept. We have different concepts, but I don't think they're well-developed enough. And I'm afraid that They are not so well informed about what is happening on Ukrainian soil.

Although there are a few private companies that monitor and report on this to some extent. We don't have that many people on the ground, and we need to send specialists there to live there. and from time to time they would come back with the latest data that needed to be taken into account,” Petraeus said.

“There is an understanding that this needs to be done, but when I ask people what you did when you were there, they answer that Some of us spent the day there and then came back in the evening, then the morning and left againand on the train. Or, if they spent several days there, then all this time they met in ministries, headquarters, etc. Instead of communicating with real units, who are at the forefront of this transformation,” the American said.