Zelensky says Ukraine's drones will soon fly far enough to hit anywhere in Russia Kyiv and Washington quietly push forward a plan to build drones on US soil Ukraine's drone range could jump to 10,000 km, but engineers still face big hurdles In a recent interview with American conservative commentato
<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Zelensky says Ukraine's drones will soon fly far enough to hit anywhere in Russia</strong></li><li><strong>Kyiv and Washington quietly push forward a plan to build drones on US soil</strong></li><li><strong>Ukraine's drone range could jump to 10,000 km, but engineers still face big hurdles</strong></li></ul><p>In a recent interview with American conservative commentator Laura Loomer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian drones should exceed 4,000 km in range in 2026.</p><p>The Ukrainian leader added that long-range <a href="https://www.techradar.com/cameras/drones/best-drone">drones</a> could achieve distances between 5,000 km and 10,000 km, or about 6,000 miles, by 2027.</p><p>Such a capability would theoretically allow a drone to cover Russia’s entire territory and reach distances comparable to the route between Kyiv and San Francisco.</p><h2 id="ukraine-plans-expanded-drone-cooperation-with-the-united-states">Ukraine plans expanded drone cooperation with the United States</h2><p>The projected increase in range forms part of Kyiv’s efforts to expand drone production through cooperation with Washington and possible manufacturing facilities inside America.</p><p>The discussions include joint production, technology exchanges, testing arrangements, and the development of production lines for advanced unmanned systems.</p><p>Ukraine has gained extensive experience with aerial drones, naval drones, and deep-strike platforms in its ongoing war with Russia.</p><p>Those battlefield developments have become central to discussions about future cooperation, as Kyiv seeks wider access to industrial capacity and advanced manufacturing resources.</p><p>The first stage of agreements between Ukraine and the United States has already been completed, while further documents remain under preparation.</p><p>"We're going to build a great factory," Zelensky said, describing plans for production lines that could support future drone manufacturing.</p><p>Both parties have already signed documents allowing various Ukrainian drone systems to undergo testing in the United States.</p><p>Those arrangements involve aerial drones, sea-based systems, and other high-technology products before any broader production agreement receives final approval.</p><p>Ukraine has also pursued similar defence partnerships with European countries as it attempts to expand its role in defence technology development.</p><h2 id="long-range-drone-ambitions-face-technical-challenges">Long-range drone ambitions face technical challenges</h2><p>The planned range increase would require significant advances in propulsion, communications, navigation systems, and endurance capabilities before becoming operationally realistic.</p><p>Flying thousands of kilometres would create new challenges involving reliability, electronic warfare threats, satellite connectivity, and the ability to maintain accurate targeting.</p><p>Military analysts have often noted that extending drone range involves more than increasing flight distance because other systems must operate effectively.</p><p>A drone capable of travelling up to 10,000 km would require dependable control systems and protection against attempts to disrupt communications.</p><p>The development timeline could also depend on access to funding, manufacturing capacity, and successful testing under demanding operational conditions.</p><p>While Ukraine has rapidly expanded its unmanned capabilities during the war, achieving the announced range goals would require continued technological progress.</p><p>The proposed timeline shows Kyiv’s ambition to develop longer-range strike capabilities, although the final performance of such systems remains dependent on future development outcomes. </p><p>Via <a href="https://nv.ua/ukr/world/geopolitics/drone-deal-ukrajina-ta-ssha-zelenskiy-anonsuvav-poloti-droniv-na-distanciyu-v-4000-km-50627085.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NV</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:676px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:31.51%;"><img id="diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78" name="tr-g_news" alt="Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="676" height="213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div></figure> </article> ]]>
