Help us keep bringing the truth to light, even when Russia turns the lights out.

Shop and support
Europe

Ukraine to help Poland build 'modern drone armada,' Polish PM Tusk says

• 3 min read
Ukraine to help Poland build 'modern drone armada,' Polish PM Tusk says
Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron (not seen) deliver a press conference after the 1st Polish-French Intergovernmental Summit on April 20, 2026, in Gdansk, Poland. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Poland is launching a new project to build a modern drone fleet with the help of Ukrainian technical expertise and European funding, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on April 27.

"Ukraine has proven itself a partner for countries that want to defend themselves against aerial attacks," Tusk said at an event in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow, where he met Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.

"Therefore, I can say with great satisfaction that the project of building a Polish drone fleet will be supported by the technical expertise and know-how of our Ukrainian friends."

Warsaw has stepped up efforts to cooperate with Ukraine on unmanned systems development, particularly after Russian drones were downed over Polish airspace in September 2025.

Tusk said that Poland's new drone fleet will strengthen both Poland's national security and that of its allies.

"Poland must have its own modern drone armada, so that we can not only help Ukraine today, but also tell the Polish people with full confidence that we are safe," Tusk said at the security conference held in preparation for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026.

The Polish prime minister emphasized that Ukraine's relations with Poland and Europe are based on mutual partnership rather than one-sided aid. According to Tusk, Warsaw played a key role in pioneering this model of partnership.

The Russia-Ukraine war saw rapid advancements in drone technology, prompting countries across Europe and the Middle East to seek Kyiv's expertise in developing unmanned systems.

At the event, Svyrydenko said that cooperation with Poland will strengthen the security of both countries.

"We don't need to explain here what Russian aggression is. We stand here shoulder to shoulder in the fight for freedom and peace," the Ukrainian prime minister said.

Poland, a NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine, has provided extensive military and humanitarian assistance to Kyiv since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in 2022. Its Rzeszow airport has played a key role in transiting Western military aid to the war-torn country.

Avatar
Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

Read more
News Feed
Video

In May 2026, Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps launched a secret counteroffensive now known as Operation Vivaldi, aiming to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive positions in the Lyman and Sviatohirsk sectors and disrupt Russia’s plans to encircle Ukraine’s key strongholds – the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

"Russia is building the military-industrial capacity to continue waging wars even after the war in Ukraine ends. These are not the actions of a country preparing for lasting peace," Oleksandr Danylyuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Reforms and former chief adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, told the Kyiv Independent.

 (Updated:  )

For almost two years, student-led demonstrations in Serbia rallied against Vucic's right-wing incumbent Serbian Progressive Party. Protesting against alleged corruption in the government, the movement was triggered when a train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad collapsed in 2024, killing 16 people.

Show More