The administration of U.S. President Joseph Biden has declassified information about helping Ukraine create a drone industry after the 2023 counteroffensive, revolutionizing the way wars are waged, according to an article in The New York Times.

"U.S. officials said on Thursday that they had made big investments that helped Ukraine start and expand its production of drones as it battled Russia's larger and better-equipped army. Much of the U.S. assistance to the Ukrainian military, including billions of dollars in missiles, air defense systems, tanks, artillery and training, has been announced to the public. But other support has largely gone on in the shadows. That included helping Ukraine develop a new generation of drones and revolutionize how wars are fought, according to U.S. officials," the article reads.

Last autumn, the Pentagon allocated $800 million to build drones in Ukraine, which was used to buy components and fund manufacturers. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House in September 2024, Biden said another $1.5 billion would be funneled into Ukraine's drone industry. The United States has also sent intelligence officers to Ukraine to help develop its drone program.

"We saw how UAVs were becoming increasingly central to the fight in Ukraine and will be central to all future fights," U.S. National Security Adviser Jacob Sullivan said in a statement on Thursday.

He said the drone work began after Ukraine's first counteroffensive in the autumn of 2022, when the limits of Ukraine's conventional capabilities became apparent. The effort intensified in preparation for Ukraine's second counteroffensive in 2023, which was less successful, in part because of Russia's use of drones. Sullivan said the push to build Ukraine's drone industry has provided "invaluable lessons" that the Biden administration has begun to integrate into the U.S. defense industry.

The U.S. officials said Thursday they believe the investment has made Ukraine's drones more effective and lethal.

"I think our intelligence support has helped the Ukrainians to defend themselves… Not just in the sharing of intelligence, but support for some of the systems that have been so effective," C.I.A. Director William Burns said in an interview this week.