With no guarantee of U.S. weapons, Ukraine races to make its own

Updated September 30, 2025 at 3:01 AM MDT

LVIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's emerging arms industry is on display at an odd place here — an underground parking garage, beneath a gleaming new office building known as Lviv Tech City .

Conference organizers chose this secure space so the event couldn't be disrupted by one of Russia's frequent airstrikes.

"We're a Ukrainian company. We're building drones, all different kinds of drones," said Maksym Yakovlev, who works with FRDM Group , one of many firms making military drones.

Many Ukrainian drones cost $1,000 or less and are only used once. They simply fly into a Russian target and explode. The one on display here is a high-end model, the R-34-T . It has six propellers, carries 30 pounds of weaponry, and can be reused. They are sold in pairs