As Ukraine seeks to edge China out of its drone supply chain, Taiwan emerges as a quiet player

Taiwan’s reputation for tech excellence means it is a favoured alternative source for Ukrainian drone-makers

Over the four years that Ukraine has been fighting to repel Russian forces from its territory, its country’s battlefields have become scarred by airstrikes, pockmarked by artillery fire, and littered with the wreckage of cheap aerial drones.

The conflict has transformed the economics of modern warfare – with both sides now reliant on these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the battlefield, evade defences and strike deep into enemy territory. The fighting has so far kept Russia bogged down, trapped behind frozen frontlines, allowing Kyiv to remake the country’s industrial base to meet the needs of the war.