Nov 16, 2025

The transformation of civilian industries into defense manufacturers is evident with people like Kseniia Kalmus, who went from being a floral artist to making drones for Ukrainian soldiers. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kalmus co-owned a flower shop in Kyiv and showcased her work across Europe. Now, she devotes her skills to building drones for combat purposes. Shift from traditional supplies to drone production When the war started in February 2022, Kalmus raised money for anything Ukrainian soldiers needed, from vehicles to medicine and uniforms. However, as time went on, the requests changed. "I realized that all the requests were for FPV [first-person view] drones," she told the BBC in an interview. This prompted her to focus on raising funds specifically for these drones and eventually start producing them herself. The rise of drone production in Ukraine Before 2022, there were only a handful of companies making drones in Ukraine. Now, there are hundreds. Kyiv claims that around three-quarters of Russian losses on the battlefield are due to drones, not conventional weapons. Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, called this "the first full-blown drone war." She added that many small businesses and individuals are now making and donating drones to Ukrainian forces. Global interest in drone technology The success of Ukraine's drone industry has caught the attention of major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as well as smaller companies such as US-based AeroVironment. In Europe, Portugal's Tekever became a unicorn company this year, while Germany's Stark is expanding its operations. The UK government also announced a £4.5 billion investment in new military drones last year. Counter-drone technology and future trends The rise of military drones has also given birth to a counter-drone industry. Companies like DroneShield are developing hardware and software systems for detecting and safely taking down small drones. The next big development in drone technology is expected to be driven by artificial intelligence (AI), with experts predicting the emergence of fully autonomous drones that can collaborate.