Consider This from NPR Ukraine's scrappy wartime innovation
16 snips
Sep 30, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Greg Myre, NPR's national security correspondent, shares his firsthand experiences from Ukraine. He highlights the underground drone industry in Lviv, where innovation is rapid despite ongoing threats. Myre also explores the emergence of Ukraine as a defense tech hub, with founders returning from Silicon Valley to create cutting-edge solutions. Venturing into medical advancements, he reveals how frontline hospitals utilize advanced techniques for neurosurgery, showcasing their remarkable resilience amid conflict.
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Rapid Rise Of Ukraine's Drone Industry
- Ukraine built a fast, homegrown drone industry from almost nothing within three years.
- Domestic manufacturing now supplies many drones that change battlefield dynamics and reduce dependency on foreign arms.
Tech Founders Pivot To Defense
- Former Silicon Valley founders returned to Ukraine and repurposed tech skills for defense manufacturing.
- Yaroslav Oznuk says Ukraine is becoming a "defense valley," with intense local energy and startups focused on weapons tech.
Substantial Domestic Arms Production
- Ukraine claims it now produces roughly 40% of its own weapons and virtually all of its drones.
- That domestic output includes millions of drones and models capable of striking critical Russian infrastructure.