Ukraine aims to significantly ramp up its drone production capabilities despite the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s minister for strategic industries revealed on 25 October. The goal is to produce tens of thousands of drones per month by the end of 2022 to support Ukraine’s defense efforts.
“By the end of this year, it would be dozens of thousands a month. And that’s something we grow even faster than conventional warfare ammunition and warfare weapons,” stated Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, speaking at a NATO forum, according to Reuters and Sky News.
He highlighted how drones have become central in the 20-month-old all-out war, used extensively by both Ukrainians and Russians for surveillance and attack.
Kyiv is working to boost its production of military equipment and munitions, amidst concerns over dwindling Western weapons supplies as the war prolongs. However, the country remains heavily dependent on foreign-made drone engines.
Ukraine’s push for increased local manufacturing aims to ensure quicker and more reliable access to necessary military resources. This effort is further challenged by Russia’s consistent drone and missile attacks across the nation.
“Speaking about shells, for instance, we produce times more now than for the whole (of) last year,” Kamyshin said, adding without providing specifics, “We found a model of how it can be working even under shelling.”
He expressed optimism that cooperation with Western defense firms could aid the drone production scale-up.
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