President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on 6/9 that "nearly 60% of the weapons currently in the hands of our soldiers are made in Ukraine. These are powerful weapons, and many types are very modern." This is considered a significant advancement from the 40% domestic production rate at the beginning of the year.
However, he acknowledged that Ukraine has not yet achieved many goals in the defense industry sector, particularly in producing domestic air defense systems or collaborating with other countries to do so. President Zelensky said this is a major challenge that Ukraine must find a way to overcome.
Zelensky and Ukrainian officials have long emphasized that boosting domestic arms production is crucial to ensuring the country's future defense capabilities. In July, the Ukrainian president urged the government to take measures to increase the proportion of domestically produced equipment to over 50%.
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Ukraine's Flamingo missile in a photo released in August. Photo: Fire Point |
Ukraine's Flamingo missile in a photo released in August. Photo: Fire Point
In recent weeks, Ukraine has introduced several domestic weapons production initiatives, including launching its first drone manufacturing line in Denmark, in cooperation with the host country.
On 4/9, the Ukrainian company Fire Point announced the development of two new ballistic missile and air defense systems. This announcement came just weeks after their Flamingo cruise missile, with a range of 3,000 km, entered mass production.
In the fiscal year 2025 budget, Ukraine allocated USD 1.3 billion for defense production, striving to reduce reliance on foreign equipment.
President Zelensky continues to call on Western allies to provide more air defense systems, especially the US-made Patriot system.
In July, former US President Donald Trump announced an agreement for indirect arms transfers to Ukraine, where European countries would purchase US-made military equipment like Patriot systems to transfer to Kyiv.
This support is provided through the NATO-operated Ukraine Priority Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, which addresses Kyiv's most urgent battlefield needs.
On 6/9, President Zelensky said Ukraine is working to "receive new contributions from partners within the PURL program," and this will be a key focus in the coming week.
Pham Giang (According to Reuters, Kyiv Independent)
