Ukraine spends $100 million daily to finance Ukraine’s Armed Forces and repel the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview with Ukrinform.
Most of this budget comprises state funds, Oleksii Reznikov said.
The Defense Minister was asked why there are so few drones at the front and why they are bought with funds donated by volunteers, not with budget funds.
“I can tell you that supplies from volunteers from 24 February 2022 to the present day are 3% of everything sent to the war. A day of war costs us 100 million dollars. In fact, this is done by Ukrainian citizens who work and pay taxes,” Reznikov said.
Reznikov said that 30 models of new Ukrainian drones of various types have been officially approved for operation: reconnaissance, attack, kamikaze, FPV drones, etc. According to Reznikov, during the ongoing Russian invasion, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has supplied the Ukrainian army with about 300 modern NATO equipment and weapons.
According to the Defense Minister, the Ukrainian Army is the largest consumer of funds today. He stressed the importance of paying taxes even during the war because Ukraine also needs funds to maintain the country as a whole: for the infrastructure, reconstruction, and support of the socially vulnerable categories of citizens.
“We need to work and pay taxes. Business needs to be active and support entrepreneurs,” Reznikov said.
Oleksii Reznikov also emphasized that the trust of partners who provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment is crucial for the Ukrainian government. That is why the Defense Ministry has launched the LOGFAS system, a NATO system of control, accounting and reporting, and transparency. Reznikov said that Ukraine is constantly checked by partners, and there are no problems with reporting and transparency.
On 3 September, in his daily address to Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his decision to replace Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. According to Zelenskyy, Rustem Umerov, the current head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, will become the next Defense Minister of Ukraine.
Related:
- Zelenskyy announces replacement of Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Reznikov resigns
- Reznikov says Ukraine expects boom in drone production – Reuters
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry approves innovative drone with AI elements for mass
