Ukraine is ramping up arms production but still requires significant Western assistance, – ISW

Self-propelled gun "Bogdana". Photo: armyinform.com.ua

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that Ukraine is increasing its production of weapons, military equipment, and drones, but still requires significant Western assistance to counter Russian aggression.

ISW reported that Ukraine continues its efforts to boost domestic production of a significant amount of military equipment and to maintain an advantage over Russia in the field of drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukrainian companies can currently produce four million drones per year, and that Ukraine has already signed contracts for the production of 1.5 million drones, likely in 2024.

The report also notes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently announced plans to increase Russia’s drone production tenfold to 1.4 million in 2024, which is still less than the two million drones Ukraine plans to produce in 2024.

Zelensky also mentioned that Ukraine can produce 15 “Bohdana” self-propelled artillery units per month, and recently successfully tested a domestically-produced ballistic missile.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated on October 2 that Ukraine will continue to prioritize domestic production of drones and long-range missiles, including ballistic ones.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on October 2 that Ukraine allocated $7 billion for arms and military equipment procurement in the 2025 state budget, a 65% increase compared to the 2024 budget.

Shmyhal added that Ukraine tripled its domestic arms production in 2023 and doubled it in the first eight months of 2024.

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