US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon has sent American troops to Ukraine to study the combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in real-world conditions. He made this statement on May 12, 2026, at a Senate hearing.

During the meeting, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Ukraine "Silicon Valley of war" and asked whether the Pentagon chief supported sending his subordinates to learn from Ukrainian experience. Hegseth responded affirmatively and said he had personally authorized the deployment of additional personnel.

"I have personally approved additional deployments of personnel [to Ukraine] for battlefield training in unmanned systems, both offensively and defensively, to ensure that we learn every possible lesson from this conflict and integrate them in real time into our defense and offense in an era where drone dominance is imperative." "Hegseth said.

He emphasized that the United States must take into account the lessons learned in Ukraine and other battlefields and implement them in its armed forces as quickly as possible. This initiative also explains the significant allocations for unmanned technologies in the US defense budget.

Previously, according to media reports, the US allegedly rejected a Ukrainian proposal to share technology to intercept Iranian drones, but subsequently acknowledged this error. As of May 12, the US and Ukrainian governments have prepared a draft memorandum on a new defense agreement, specifically covering the unmanned aircraft sector.