President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s drone range is expected to expand dramatically over the next two years, reaching up to 10,000 kilometers (about 6,213 miles) by the next year.
Zelensky announced the new phase of Ukraine’s long-range drone program development in an interview with a self-described investigative journalist and US right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, during a meeting in Kyiv, released on Friday, July 24.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“So what’s very important right now: you have drones at 3,000-plus kilometers (roughly 1,864 miles),” Zelensky said.
“And this year, we’ll have them at 4,000 kilometers [roughly 2,485 miles], next year – from 5,000 to 10,000 [kilometers, roughly 3,107 to 6,213 miles],” he continued.
Steady progress since last year
Zelensky first officially announced that Ukraine has successfully tested a long-range drone capable of covering 3,000 kilometers (roughly 1,864 miles) on March 17, when he said that Ukraine is currently developing a line of long-range weapons that “will help guarantee the security of our state.”
The growth in range reflects a broader push within Ukraine’s defense sector as it strives to modernize its drone industry.
Domestic production of unmanned systems has surged by roughly 900% percent in 2025, according to United24Media, with the Defense Ministry shifting toward AI-assisted, longer-range strikes aimed at extending Ukraine’s reach into deeper Russian territory while limiting the exposure of personnel to direct frontline threats.
How Ukraine’s Drone Swarms Decimated Russia’s Shadow Fleet in the Sea of Azov
Ceasefire as the priority
Zelensky told Loomer that Kyiv’s overriding goal remains saving lives, making a ceasefire preferable to years of continued fighting purely for the sake of battlefield gains and military victory.
“If tomorrow we can achieve a ceasefire, it will be better than to fight for 10-20 years to win and lose our people,” Zelensky said.
Despite “no one in Ukraine” abandoning the aim of winning the war, the cost of the victory cannot be measured in human losses, he continued, according to RBC-Ukraine.
Trump now sees Russia as the obstacle, Zelensky says
US President Donald Trump has severely altered his tone and attitude regarding Ukraine in recent months, reflecting a notable change in stance on his previous view on Russia.
Throughout the war, he refused to criticize Moscow or to deem Russia as an aggressor responsible for the war. Although he called for a “swift end to the conflict,” in February 2025, not once did he mention Kyiv’s territorial integrity. On multiple occasions, he expressed admiration for the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Instead, Trump called Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” falsely blaming Ukraine for starting the war. He even described Ukraine as at a disadvantage in the negotiations.
“He doesn’t have to make a deal, because if he wanted, he’d get the whole country,” Trump said, according to the AFP on February 22, 2025.
Citing Ukraine’s recent battlefield gains, and the ability to strike deep into Russia, Trump changed his diplomatic posture toward Ukraine. The NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on July 7-8, appears to have crystallized this shift. The most tangible evidence came when Trump announced on the sidelines of the summit that Washington will grant Kyiv a license to domestically manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
The turning point traces back to Vatican
Zelensky pointed to a brief, one-on-one meeting with Trump at the Vatican, in April 2025 as the moment their relationship began to shift.
“It was a short meeting,” Zelensky said, “but I always said that, in my opinion, this was a historic moment, because in 15-20 minutes we changed our relationship.”
According to him, that trust built through that kind of direct, personal dialogue was the key factor behind Washington’s changing tone. “I think President Trump started trusting me,” he said. “Step by step, I tried to explain the situation,” he continued, “I think he understood me very well.”
Sanctions question redirected toward peace
When asked to comment on Trump’s remarks about possibly tightening sanctions against Russia and Iran following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, Zelensky redirected the conversation toward ending the war, reiterating Ukraine’s central priority – a long and lasting peace, preserving human lives.
As of Friday, July 24, Zelensky is expected to attend Lindsey Graham’s funeral during the course of his diplomatic visit to the US on July 28. Although neither the Ukrainian Presidential Office nor the White House had publicly announced the meeting, Suspilne’s diplomatic sources said that Zelensky is also expected to meet Trump during the visit.
Graham, one of Ukraine’s most outspoken supporters in the US Senate, died unexpectedly on July 11 at the age of 71, one day after meeting Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv. Memorial events are scheduled for July 28 in Washington and July 29 in South Carolina.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
