How Ukraine’s sea drones earned Western salivation

Published July 30, 2026 6:00am ET



Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with U.S. shipbuilder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven Magura naval drones on American soil. Production is planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina. The project aims to build hundreds, potentially thousands, of units annually.

For much of this war, the flow of military assistance ran from Washington to Kyiv. Today, the Pentagon is purchasing 2,000 attack UAVs from a Ukrainian producer, and American shipyards are preparing to build vessels designed in Kyiv. The United Kingdom is pursuing a similar path. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed another large-scale drone deal with London. Kyiv wants access to the U.K.’s Storm Shadow cruise missiles and London wants Ukrainian drone expertise.

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