In 2024, Ukraine is set to produce far beyond the promised one million drones announced by President Zelenskyy during the year-end press conference, stated Oleksandr Kamyshin, the Minister of Strategic Industries.
“The President has promised that Ukraine will produce one million drones next year. And this is just talking about FPV drones. Already in December, we are producing over 50,000 FPV drones. In addition to FPV drones, we are already capable of producing over 10,000 medium-range attack drones (hundreds of km) next year, as well as 1000+ long-range drones with a range of over 1000 km,” the Minister wrote on Telegram.
Kamyshin also noted that all production facilities are ready for this.
FPV (First Person View) drones are relatively small quadcopters initially designed for civilian use but modified for combat operations. They perform both reconnaissance and combat missions, ranging from artillery fire correction to targeting military vehicles and trenches. FPV drones, estimated at around $600, are relatively inexpensive yet capable of damaging or destroying enemy equipment worth millions. However, their flight range is limited to 8-10 km.
Ukraine has actively employed FPV drones since the early days of the Russian invasion as a cost-effective and efficient means of surveillance and strikes. Subsequently, this tactic has been adopted by Russia, which is now also bolstering these capabilities. Additionally, Russia utilizes kamikaze drones of Iranian design for strikes against Ukraine, claiming they are assembled in Russian factories.
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