This year, Ukraine has started issuing grants for rocket production, with plans to offer grants for gunpowder factories next year, according to Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation. He made this statement during the Defense Tech Valley summit.
Fedorov announced that a domestic ammunition market has already been established in Ukraine, with “millions” of shells contracted and purchased by the government, including those for drones. Regulatory barriers for the production of gunpowder and other explosives in Ukraine have also been lifted.
“This year, for instance, the investment sum for the Brave1 cluster has increased. As a secret, I’ll tell you that we began issuing grants for rocket production this year. Next year, we’ll provide grants for gunpowder factories. These are non-repayable grants, which we offer as a form of guarantee that your investments will pay off,” Fedorov explained.
In addition, Ukraine is developing simulators to test defense technologies and building infrastructure for trials. “Before purchasing anything, we test it on our own units to see how a particular drone or electronic warfare system works in real conditions,” Fedorov added.
Over the last two and a half years, Fedorov noted that more than 200 companies in Ukraine have emerged, developing robotic ground platforms, 500 companies producing drones, and over 100 working on electronic warfare systems.
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