To achieve a just peace, it is important to scale up support in key areas: air defense, drone and missile production, and the supply of long-range artillery shells, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said during a speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference.
According to the Ministry of Defense's press service, Fedorov said Ukraine is gradually achieving greater success in countering air threats, in particular thanks to the development of "small-scale air defense." On the ground, the Defense Forces are intensifying strikes against enemy logistics and dealing blows to the Russian economy.
"Drones play a key role on the battlefield. In particular, the Unmanned Systems Forces are hitting one in every four targets on the front lines. Ukraine is taking steps to stay ahead of Russia in every technological cycle: scaling up effective units, developing the eBall system, and implementing other innovative solutions," the statement reads.
Fedorov outlined three key areas of support that Ukraine needs right now to maintain the initiative. The first is air defense. The country critically needs missiles for the Patriot system, specifically PAC-3s. That is why support for the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism is so important.
"We still face two main challenges: ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs. Together with our partners, we are working to strip Russia of this advantage," Fedorov said.
The second priority, he said, is scaling up the production of Ukrainian drones and missiles.
As Fedorov noted, 2026 will be a record year in terms of the number of drones produced, but Ukraine could ramp up production even further if funding is available. Also, Ukrainian solutions will soon be made available for export to strategic partners for the first time.
The third priority is long-range artillery ammunition. Ukraine needs shells with a range of at least 30 km. The minister is confident that scaling up and accelerating support in these areas will help strengthen Ukraine's position and bring a just peace closer.
The minister also spoke about the first stage of the transformation of military service. He emphasized that the key change is the transition to a new contract system with transparent terms and clear periods of service.
