Drone fleet for Poland: Tusk launches initiative in Rzeszów drawing on Ukrainian combat experience

On Monday, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented a joint initiative with Ukraine in Rzeszów. The aim is a Polish drone fleet based on Ukraine’s battlefield experience.

Poland provides the money, Ukraine its combat experience with drones; EU funds are added on top. The project is part of a broader strategy intended to strengthen Europe’s security.

Polska armada dronowa czyli europejskie pieniądze, polskie firmy i centra badawcze oraz ukraińskie kompetencje z pola walki. Projekt wystartował dziś w Rzeszowie.— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) April 27, 2026

Drone fleet as a promise of security

The Prime Minister explained the move: “Ukraine has proven to be the most attractive partner for countries that want to defend their airspace. Poland needs its own modern drone army so that we can give our citizens a sense of security.”

Yulia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, was also present. Her country, she said, had changed fundamentally: “We have developed from a country that received aid into a supplier of modern defence solutions.”

Svyrydenko added: “Drone technologies are already changing the character of warfare and enable the destruction of expensive weapon systems at comparatively low cost.”