Ukraine’s weapon production has tripled, possessing missiles with a range of 700km

(Dan Tri) – A senior Ukrainian official announced that the country is increasing weapons production in the context of the war of attrition with Russia entering its third year.

Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin (Photo: AFP).

Ukraine tripled its arms production last year and has 500 domestic companies operating in the defense sector, Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said on February 25.

Kiev is looking to boost its combat capabilities as Moscow’s military campaign in the neighboring country enters its third year, including boosting domestic weapons production and innovation.

Mr. Kamyshin said 100 state companies and 400 private companies were involved in the effort and that Ukraine this year plans to `significantly increase ammunition production.`

`Last year, our defense industry supplied three times more weapons than in 2022. Output for 2024 is expected to be six times higher than last year,` he said.

In addition, Mr. Kamyshin said Ukraine has begun producing long-range weapons and hinted that some of them will soon be delivered to the front lines.

`Last year, our Self-Defense Forces began to attack strategic targets deep in Russia’s rear, using weapons produced in Ukraine. Last year, we saw aerial devices

Regarding Ukraine’s missile program, he stated that Ukraine already `has long-range weapons that can hit targets at a distance of 700km`.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said 90% of drones used on the battlefield against Russian forces were produced in Ukraine.

When foreign aid began to trickle, Ukraine decided to strengthen its domestic defense industrial base to ensure its own production of weapons to counter Russia.

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the state-owned defense industry would play an important role in the country’s long-term self-defense ability.

Minister Kamyshin once confidently commented that with appropriate development, Ukraine’s defense industry has the potential to become `the arsenal of the free world`.

Developing a defense industrial complex to compete with Russia is a giant challenge for Ukraine.

The unique needs of defense technology require specialized infrastructure and machinery, along with personnel with extensive experience in the field.

Even the West has recently faced the challenge of increasing its defense production capacity as Russia has begun to accelerate with arms production several times higher by 2023.

Despite difficulties, Ukraine’s defense industry also has advantages.