Ukraine ramping up UAV production to compensate lack of artillery rounds – Defense Ministry
Ukraine is increasing the production of kamikaze drones, and together with Western companies it plans to produce 155 mm rounds on its territory, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Ivan Havriliuk said.
“As for artillery ammunition, this issue will continue to arise. Therefore, in Ukraine it was decided to resolve these issues by creating a powerful UAV production," Havriliuk said in an interview with BBC.
In addition, according to him, our own production of ammunition "for almost the entire range of its Soviet-era weapons" is being increased.
However, most of the Western systems that Ukraine received from partners use a different caliber – the most common is 155 mm. So, together with Western companies, Ukraine plans to produce such shells on its territory.
"We cannot talk about the production of a large number of 155-mm rounds," the general noted.
But next year he expects the Ukrainian defense industry to produce "enough of them to cover the difference between what is needed [at the front line] and the number of rounds that partners can provide."
According to the publication, Havryliuk said during negotiations with U.S. companies, when he accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his December visit to the United States, they discussed the development of their own defense industry by creating joint production facilities with Western countries on their territory.
In 2024, together with American partners in Ukraine, they hope to produce missiles for the S-300 and Buk air defense systems. Ammo for these Soviet weapons is also running out, writes the BBC.
"We understand that it is impossible to compare the resources of Russia and Ukraine. Since Russia has a powerful defense-industrial complex, which provides an advantage, including in human resources and equipment. Therefore, in order to gain an advantage on the battlefield, we need a technological advantage," the Deputy Minister said.
He also said Kyiv is waiting for long-range missile partners. Such missiles are critical to disrupt enemy supply routes and hit their bases deep in the rear.
