By Olha Hembik | 2025-09-10

Poland has become the world's biggest buyer of Taiwanese drones, snapping up more than half of Taipei's exports as it races to harden defenses against Russia.

Taiwan’s drone exports surged nearly 750% last year, Polska Agencja Prasowa reported in July citing Taipei News. In a deal worth $6.48 million, Warsaw purchased 54% of all Taiwanese drone exports, valued at $11.89 million.

Other major buyers included the United States ($1.55 million), Germany ($1.46 million), and the Czech Republic ($1.04 million).

Cezary Tomczyk, secretary of state in Poland's Ministry of National Defense, said the country's armed forces are entering a new era where "mass use of unmanned systems will be a key pillar of defense."

"We are embarking on a drone revolution," he told reporters in July.

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council said European demand is driven by advances in information and communications technology and Taiwan's stable manufacturing base. The shift was accelerated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East.

Ukraine changed everything

The Polish Defense Ministry says Russia's war in Ukraine has underscored the importance of unmanned systems.

Tomczyk called Ukraine's role "a starting point," saying drones that once looked like "technological innovations" now "gained the upper hand in the present conflict."

"Ukraine changed everything," he added.

Piotr Kaszuwara, a war correspondent and founder of the UA Future foundation, has worked in Donbas since 2016 and carried out humanitarian missions since Russia's full-scale invasion. He told Kontur that Poland's defense industry should learn from Ukraine's battlefield experience.

"[In Ukraine,] we can see how the drones work, what they can do, and how everything is organized. We see what a modern-day battlefield looks like," he said, adding that Warsaw should prepare for threats from the east and study how to counter unmanned systems.

"We are not yet sufficiently prepared for this challenge. We don't know what battlefield tactics we need to use to protect ourselves from drones."

The Polish Defense Ministry said in July it would spend 200 million zlotys (about €47 million) on drones this year, with half the funding earmarked for training systems.

Military units have already begun receiving the equipment, and officials say the army will have tens of thousands of training drones by year's end.

Artificial intelligence

The Polish Defense Ministry plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into unmanned systems, saying software will play a central role in modern drones.

"We want AI to become an integral part of unmanned systems," said Tomczyk, adding that the Polish army is the third in the world to open the Artificial Intelligence Implementation Center.

US-based AI expert Nikita Gladkikh said Ukraine's experience shows effectiveness depends not just on the platforms but also on autonomous modules that allow target recognition, GPS-free navigation and operation under electronic countermeasures.

"The use of compact algorithms retrained on combat data, as well as a focus on modularity, make it possible to rapidly adapt systems and deploy even cheap [first-person view] FPV drones en mass, turning them into strategic weapons," Gladkikh told Kontur.

He added that Poland could pair Taiwanese components with its own AI solutions to create a "smart" drone ecosystem aligned with NATO.

"The speed with which innovations are being implemented will make it possible to not only bolster defenses, but also become a regional leader in the development of unmanned technologies," Gladkikh predicted.

The threat is growing

Jerzy Mazur, a Polish military expert and reserve officer, said Poland has taken an important step by investing in battlefield-tested innovations from Ukraine.

"The threat from Russia is growing. There is a fierce battle over technology, so it is strategically important to strengthen Poland's position in NATO, to make Warsaw the European center for the integration of new unmanned systems. Now it's about the drones," he told Kontur.

Mazur also urged cooperation with Taiwanese manufacturers not tied to Chinese supply chains to reduce cyber risks.

Additionally, the Defense Ministry has announced plans for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Center at the Air Force Institute of Technology to develop, test and deploy land, air and naval systems.

The new center will also equip the military with mini-drones capable of firing ammunition.

The Defense Ministry said it is simplifying drone-use rules to match battlefield conditions.

"We want soldiers to be able to use unmanned systems faster and more effectively, without unnecessary bureaucracy but with complete operational safety," said Tomczyk.

Designated military units will run drone labs to design, assemble, modify and service UAVs, including with 3D-printing technology.

"Our goal is to make unmanned systems an everyday weapon," said Tomczyk.

Kaszuwara said Poland has firmly committed to military buildup, noting it leads NATO in defense spending as a share of GDP. Warsaw is setting a standard for the alliance by "exemplifying responsibility for Europe's security," he added.