Ukrainian drone manufacturers plan to reach production mark of two million by 2025
Photo: Ministry of Digital Transformation
Ukrainian drone manufacturers can produce up to 150,000 units per month, with plans to reach production of two million drones by the end of 2024, according to Hanna Hvozdiar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
"The president's statement about the possibility of producing a million drones in Ukraine caught everyone's attention, and many people didn't believe it for some reason," said Hvozdiar during the nationwide marathon. "I can assure you that Ukraine is far beyond the million mark in terms of production. I am confident that we will reach even two million this year."
She reported that production can be increased significantly with additional funding. About 200 domestic companies are involved in this sector, with nearly 60 already engaged in state orders, she added.
"We also have ambitious plans to develop the drone component market this year. Currently, there are components in Ukraine that are either not produced or produced in insufficient quantities from imported raw materials. We want to localize the production of certain components by entering into alliances with international partners. The Ukrainian component market is large and has sufficient prospects, as the drone market is growing," said the deputy minister.
Earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that businesses and the market in Ukraine can already produce more than a million drones annually.
Ukraine has already signed five agreements on the joint production of weapons with leading companies worldwide, and dozens more such joint ventures will be created this year.
What we know about Ukraine's national drone production
In December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine would manufacture a million drones next year.
In addition to 1 million FPV drones, Ukraine will produce over 10,000 medium-range strike drones and over a thousand drones with a range of 1,000 km in 2024.
The Ukrainian market for drone production is actively developing; currently, there are over 100 companies in the country manufacturing drones.
Earlier, the head of the security service reported that Ukraine had produced a unique maritime surface drone called the "Sea Baby." These drones are produced in Ukraine, but the factories are underground.
Ukraine has also established serial production of the domestic analog of "Shahed" drones. Dozens of such drones are produced each month.
Also, the country began the serial domestic production of Cobra strike drones. They were developed by engineers from Kryvyi Rih, with a flight range of up to 300 km.
The construction of a Bayraktar drone production plant continues in Ukraine, with plans to produce over 100 drones annually.
