By Olha Hembik | 2026-03-16

Ukraine learned to build better drones by surviving Russian ones. Now it's teaching Poland.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told TVP World end of January that drone and missile manufacturing is shifting to Polish soil, and that Poland is gaining technology and expertise in return.

"We have contributed to the purchase of American weaponry for Ukraine. We are now on our -- I'm losing count, I believe -- 48th transfer of equipment. But Ukraine is reciprocating by shifting a portion of its drone and missile production to Poland," Sikorski said.

Warsaw plans to fund joint initiatives through the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, a €150 billion credit facility offering member states subsidized loans for rearmament. Poland is slated to draw €44 billion from the fund.

"Some projects will be implemented with European partners, as well as with Ukraine," Sikorski said.

From battlefield to blueprint

The partnership took formal shape February 5, when Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met in Kyiv and signed a letter of intent enabling technology transfer. Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar told broadcaster Dzień na świecie that production is likely already underway.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine's edge is experience no defense contractor can replicate. The war has given Ukraine some of the most current expertise on "which weapons actually work in modern warfare and what can truly help," he said, according to Suspilne. Joint production, he added, is essential for European security.

War correspondent and UA Future founder Piotr Kaszuwara, who has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukrainian front lines for nearly a decade, said Poland has every reason to absorb that knowledge fast.

"It is vital for the Polish defense industry to learn from Ukraine's experience; this expertise is particularly valuable as it was gained directly on the battlefield," he told Kontur.

AI-powered drones lead the way

AI expert Nikita Gladkikh told Kontur that Ukrainian developers have built autonomous software modules capable of environmental perception, target recognition and navigation, including "last-mile" guidance that keeps strike drones on target even in heavy electronic warfare environments. That technological edge helps "offset the enemy's numerical advantage."

Ukrainian company TAF Drones developed the "Last Mile" automatic guidance module specifically for such conditions.

The exchange also includes legacy aircraft. Ukraine expects to receive approximately 10 MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland's 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork -- aircraft Warsaw is replacing with South Korean FA-50s and American F-35s -- in exchange for modern drones.

A continent prepares

Mikhail Strelnikov, founder of the Museum of Victory over Despotism in Poland, said the rearmament drive reflects a clear-eyed reading of Russian intentions.

"The Poles see how the war in Ukraine has transformed the approach to the battlefield and weapons technology. Strengthening the country's defense capabilities to meet modern challenges is more relevant than ever," Strelnikov told Kontur. "In a few years, war could reach European nations -- it is a real threat."

Poland is not alone in that calculation.

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems, which announced a £200 million (approximately $250 million) UK investment in September 2025, opened its Suffolk factory in late February 2026.

On February 13, Zelenskyy took delivery of the first combat drone produced at a joint Ukrainian-German facility, announcing 10,000 more would follow in 2026, with 10 additional production sites set to open across Europe by year's end.

Ukraine developed its drone program under fire. Now it's building Europe's defense industry with it.