Ukraine’s Defense Minister announced that the country intends to spend 545 million USD to buy UAVs this year with 16 signed contracts.
“After consulting with the General Staff and checking and testing, the Ministry of Defense signed 16 contracts with domestic UAV manufacturers,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on January 30. .
Minister Reznikov said that he will increase the purchase of UAVs for Ukraine’s defense forces in 2023 and the country is expected to spend about 545 million USD. Ukraine has a significant supply of UAVs from its partners, but it is looking to boost domestic production to build up an army of UAVs.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare to pick up a small UAV near the city of Bakhmut in November 2022. Photo: Reuters.
“Developing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market is one of the main focuses of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry,” said Reznikov. “Independence of the defense industry is one of the elements of the country’s defense capacity.”
The announcement was made by Mr. Reznikov in the context that UAVs play an increasingly important role in the Russia-Ukraine war and both sides are taking advantage of this cheap weapon to their advantage.
Western experts said that both sides of the war are constantly expanding the use of UAVs and this type of weapon is present in all stages of combat.
Some Ukrainian officials say the Ukrainian military uses drones to strike targets far from the main battlefield, such as the Crimean peninsula or the Belgorod province in western Russia. Meanwhile, Russia has recently increased the use of suicide drones to attack important Ukrainian infrastructure, in addition to very expensive long-range missiles.
Russian-Ukrainian war front. Graphics: WP.
Nguyen Tien (Theo CNN)