Ukraine can manufacture eight million unmanned systems annually, says Zelensky
Besomar fixed-wing interceptor UAVs seen on 21 February 2025 in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. (Global Images Ukraine via Getty )
Ukraine can manufacture approximately eight million different types of unmanned systems each year but lacks the financial means to do so, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his speech at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum at The Hague on 24 June.
Zelensky also stressed the need to be âleaders in the drone sectorâ, highlighting both âstrike drones and interceptorsâ while calling on industry leaders to increase investment.
The announcement came days after the United Kingdom announced it will be using technology data sets from Ukraine's front line to design and build unmanned systems. According to a 23 June UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release, British defence firms will quickly build and produce large numbers of unmanned systems for Ukraine. The UK MoD did not comment further on companies involved in the agreement or the types of unmanned systems which will be manufactured. As per the press release, âthe initial agreements between firms in both countries are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeksâ.
The three-year agreement is first expected to increase information sharing between the UK and Ukraine on what the MoD calls âdrone-based air defenceâ. The MoD intends that industrial pilot programmes, and subsequent orders for the successful systems that emerge, will follow. Both will be funded through the UK's GBP4.5 billion (USD6.17 billion) of military support for this year.
On 20 June, the Ukrainian president said the country is developing interceptor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with âproduction volumesâ already increasing. Ukraine's MoD had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
