"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.
Why does it matter? Drones play a vital role in modern warfare, providing both reconnaissance and combat capabilities. The medium and long-range models allow Ukraine to strike at high value Russian assets far behind enemy lines. This could affect Russia's ability to sustain its invasion.
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.
Read more:
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine to produce 1 million drones next year
- Defense Ministry: Ukraine ramping up production of kamikaze drones due to shell shortages
- Ukraine starts mass production of 750 km range "kamikaze" drones
- Drones attack Russia's tactical bomber base in Rostov Oblast (updated)
