In a cramped basement in Kyiv, a ragtag team of volunteers, including a florist, a professional dancer, a 77-year-old pensioner and a British ex-serviceman, are assembling drones for the Ukrainian army. Basic in design and costing $350 to manufacture, the 10-inch quadcopters boast distinctive red antenna mounts. “They call them red-arsed drones,” says Kseniia Kalmus, founder of Klyn Drones, a charity funded by donations.

In spite of the jovial mood, the workshop serves a deadly purpose. Once complete, the drones are rushed to the frontline where they are in hot demand by the military units that have commissioned them. They have rapidly become a critical component of modern warfare serving multiple purposes: surveillance, logistical support, minelaying and lethal strikes against enemy soldiers, tanks, infrastructure and ships. 

More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains heavily outgunned and outmanned. It still relies on its US and European allies for much of its traditional military hardware and intelligence. But it is fast emerging as a “world leader” in drone technology enabling it to continue to resist Russian aggression, says Giorgi Tskhakaia, a military adviser to the ministry of digital transformation.