Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said Ukraine needs to increase its weapons exports and upgrade the production facilities of its defense enterprises.

"We need to support the growing demand for Ukrainian-produced weapons. I stress that we are not selling out, unlike some [previous] infamous defense ministers and those who took the relevant decisions. At present, we are firmly and steadily gaining the market share for the types of weapons produced in Ukraine," press service of the Ukrainian president quoted Poroshenko as saying during a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on Friday.

The president recalled the domestic defense orders are executed on production facilities, the depreciation rate of which is 67%, or even 80% at some companies.

"Please work out, as I instructed, the program of upgrading the production facilities. Without modern production facilities we will not be able to compete efficiently on the global market and to ensure the modernization and the development of new weapons systems, which is spurred by external demands. As we are doing it now at our flagship defense industry companies, in our well-known design bureaus for the missile, aircraft, and armored vehicles industries," Poroshenko said.

According to the president, only thanks to export contracts leading Ukrainian developments do not end up piling up on the shelves, but account for 2% of the total exports of Ukraine. And this target should be increased, the president said.