Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukraine’s second International Defense Industries Forum on Tuesday that his country had created a new arms industry since Russia launched a full-scale invasion more than two-and-a-half years ago.
“The total number of drones we are now capable of producing annually in Ukraine is 4 million, with more than 1.5 million already contracted,” Ukraine’s Militarnyi website quoted Zelenskyy as saying.
He told the defense industry conference that weapons production in the first half of 2024 alone was 25 times higher than in the whole of 2022 and that Kyiv planned to ramp production up further.
Zelenskyy called for greater Western investment in the sector and said in the future, Ukraine would become a major global defense industry player and that “Ukraine can and will create the best weapons.”
He also told participants that in August, Ukraine had successfully test-flown its first domestically produced ballistic missile, the Euromaidan Press news website reported.
More money for arms
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told the forum that Kyiv had invested $4 billion in its arms industry and planned to spend more.
“Next year we plan to increase funding,” the Kyiv Independent news outlet quoted him as saying. “Our priority is to develop domestic drones and long-range weapons, including ballistic missiles.”
The Interfax-Ukraine news agency cited Umerov as saying that Kyiv planned to unveil details of a major Ukrainian missile program later this year or in 2025.
Echoing Zelenskyy’s call for greater Western participation in the sector, Umerov called for long-term contracts and said Kyiv wanted to attract foreign partners and create joint ventures.
"An important part of this cooperation is the signing of long-term contracts for the production, supply and maintenance of weapons to ensure that the Ukrainian army is supplied for the long term,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
