The Ukrainian government has allocated an additional UAH 5 billion (approximately $128 million) to purchase attack drones for the military, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on 18 March.
In February, Ukraine established a separate branch within the Ukrainian Armed Forces dedicated to Unmanned Systems with a focus on establishing special staff positions for drone operations, forming special units, enhancing training, systematizing experience, scaling up production, and attracting top specialists to the field.
“An additional UAH 5 billion was allocated today for the security and defense forces. The funds will be directed towards the purchase of drones, necessary for our defenders at the front line,” Shmayha; said.
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko added that agreements with UAV manufacturers have already been concluded for approximately UAH 30 billion, with contracts worth UAH 14 billion currently in preparation.
“In total, agreements with drone manufacturers worth about UAH 30 billion ($769 million) have already been concluded, and contracts with a total value of UAH 14 billion ($359 million) are being prepared. And, of course, this is not the limit,” Svyrydenko wrote on Facebook.
Hanna Hvozdiar, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries, said that Ukraine produced approximately 200,000 FPV drones in January and February 2024.
With the US and EU aid packages delayed, Ukraine is ramping up the production of one-way attack suicide” drones to compensate for the lack of artillery shells at the front, the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Ministry said.
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