Today at 10:20
Ninety-five percent of all unmanned aerial systems purchased for Ukraine’s Defense Forces through the State Rear Operator Defense Procurement Agency are produced by Ukrainian manufacturers, according to the Ministry of Defense, UATV English reports.
The ministry said the figure reflects the rapid expansion of Ukraine’s domestic defense industry and the growing role of locally produced technologies in supporting the country’s war effort.
According to the Defense Ministry, spending on unmanned systems exceeded expenditures on ammunition for the first time last year, and that trend has continued throughout 2026.
Officials attribute much of this growth to the launch of DOT-Chain Defence, a digital weapons marketplace that introduced a new procurement model by allowing frontline military personnel to directly influence purchasing decisions.
Under the system, combat brigades select equipment based on operational needs, creating stronger competition among manufacturers and encouraging companies to improve the quality and effectiveness of their products.
The ministry noted that the platform has also enabled producers to better forecast demand and expand manufacturing capacity, contributing to the rapid growth of Ukraine’s drone industry.
As a result, domestic manufacturers now supply the overwhelming majority of drones purchased for military use.
The Ministry of Defense has also introduced a new approach to drone procurement designed to minimize bureaucracy and reduce corruption risks.
Under the system, procurement requirements are generated automatically using verified battlefield data rather than subjective assessments or manual decision-making processes.
Based on requests from military units, the General Staff compiles procurement requirements that specify only technical characteristics and operational needs, without identifying particular manufacturers or brands.
The final selection of specific drone models is determined through rankings generated from combat performance data collected by a range of digital military platforms, including eBaliv, DOT-Chain, Brave1 Market, DELTA, and Mission Control.
According to the ministry, this approach ensures that procurement decisions are based on demonstrated battlefield effectiveness.
The scale of the program has expanded significantly in 2026. In less than five months, Ukrainian military units received approximately 485,000 drones and other defense-related items through DOT-Chain Defence, with a total value of UAH 31.4 billion.
The platform operates according to the principle of “the army chooses, the state supplies.” The State Rear Operator is responsible for contracting, payments, and delivery oversight, while the entire process is conducted digitally.
On average, only nine days pass between an order being placed and equipment being delivered from available stock to military units.
DOT-Chain Defence is also integrated with Brave1 Market, allowing soldiers to obtain additional drones and equipment through the Army of Drones.Bonus program using accumulated ePoints.
The continued expansion of domestic drone production has become a key element of Ukraine’s defense strategy as the country seeks to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and rapidly scale battlefield technologies.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that new Ukrainian-made long-range drones are being developed with the capability to strike targets at distances exceeding 3,000 kilometers, underscoring the growing sophistication of the country’s unmanned systems sector.
Read also: Modernized FP Drones Can Now Reach Targets 3,000 Kilometers Away — Zelenskyy
