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Inside a Drone Factory in Ukraine

Serhii, head of Vyriy production company operating fpv drone on testing field in Kyiv March 21, 2025.
Anton Shtuka or NPR
Serhii, head of Vyriy production company operating fpv drone on testing field in Kyiv March 21, 2025.

Throughout the more than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drones have been a key tool and weapon used by both sides in the conflict. Because of this, Ukraine is at the cutting edge of drone innovation, churning out some two million unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, last year. These flying drones come in all sizes and they're produced in factories large and high-tech, as well as small and shoestring. In today's episode, NPR's Eleanor Beardsley takes us inside a drone-making operation in Kyiv.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team.
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