Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated at the 31st meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine that Ukrainian manufacturers can significantly increase the production of drones if they receive the necessary funding.
Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated at the 31st meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine that Ukrainian manufacturers can significantly increase the production of drones if they receive the necessary funding.
«FPV, ISR and other drones to maintain the front line. We continue to insist on the priority need of over $4 billion. In 2026, we will be able to build 20 million drones if partners provide the necessary funding,» Shmyhal said in his speech.
He noted that long-range drones and missiles help the Defense Forces respond asymmetrically to Russian strikes. And strikes on the Russian oil refining infrastructure have already caused a gasoline shortage of up to 20%.
«I especially emphasized the financing of defense needs. We ask partners to join us in covering $60 billion — half of the planned expenditures. The optimal way is for European partners to allocate at least 0,25% of GDP for military assistance to Ukraine. Another solution is a loan from Russian frozen assets,» Denys Shmyhal said.
In the summer, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Kozenko said that the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex is capable of producing 10 million drones per year. According to him, drones currently cause 80% of battlefield casualties.
In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set a goal to increase production to 1,000 such drones per day.
«The price of production is different. Some are more expensive, some are cheaper, the capacities are slightly different, respectively. Now the price of this issue in general and urgently is $6 billion,» the head of state said.
According to Zelensky, today the Ukrainian production of military technological means requires about $25 billion per year. «Missiles, drones, electronic warfare, this direction — $25 billion,» he added.
The president later said that Ukrainian manufacturers will be able to produce missiles and drones worth $35 billion in 2026.
