Ukrainian Defense Ministry

In a secret Kyiv laboratory, Ukrainian researchers are locked in a technological arms race with Russia, dismantling recovered drones to find vulnerabilities before new modifications turn deadly. The Kyiv Independent received rare access to the Defense Ministry facility, where scientists and engineers analyze wreckage ranging from Iranian-designed Geran drones to North Korean missiles, working against a clock where Russia can adapt its systems in two to three months, faster than the typical four-to-six-month cycle for developing a countermeasure.