Ukrainian drone boat deal to build in US could be ‘one of the most consequential partnerships’

Published July 28, 2026 1:54pm ET | Updated July 28, 2026 3:09pm ET



The Ukrainian company responsible for developing and manufacturing an autonomous drone boat used to sink several Russian navy warships has agreed to a deal with an American company to produce them in the United States for the U.S. military.

UFORCE produces the family of Magura drone boats, formally known as unmanned surface vessels, and it has become “one of the most capable platforms for [Ukraine’s] naval dominance of the Black Sea,” Sean Plankey, the company’s Chief Executive Officer for the U.S., told the Washington Examiner.

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