Financial Times amends misattributed quote in Ukraine drone coverage

The Financial Times has corrected an article published on October 1 about Ukraine’s use of drone interceptors, after it misattributed a key quote on the scale of Kyiv’s daily defence needs. The paper had initially credited the remark to Alex Roslin of the Ukrainian drone maker Wild Hornets. The correction clarifies that the comment - “the scale is mind-boggling”- was in fact made by Max Enders of Germany’s Tytan Technologies.

The original story, which examined Europe’s role in supplying Ukraine’s rapidly expanding air-defence network, used the quotation to illustrate the extraordinary volume of interceptors required to counter Russian drone attacks. By assigning the line to a Ukrainian manufacturer rather than a German supplier, the piece blurred the distinction between those producing drones for the front and those supplying systems to support them.

That matters because sourcing attribution in wartime coverage shapes readers’ understanding of who is setting the narrative, whether front-line Ukrainian firms or Western defence partners. Misplacing a quote risks overstating domestic Ukrainian confidence and underplaying Europe’s industrial perspective on the logistical strain of the war effort.

The correction ensures readers can accurately trace who is assessing the scale of Ukraine’s needs, a crucial detail in a debate that influences both funding and public perception. As Western support becomes more politically contested, precise sourcing between Ukrainian and European actors is essential to maintain credibility in defence reporting.