$15 Billion in Russian Equipment—Destroyed. Ukrainian Defense Minister Reflects on His First Year in Office

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov, in his first year at the helm, shared a sharp look at the Defense Ministry’s achievements. The key numbers speak for themselves.

Defense sector

• $4 billion—total state orders for equipment and ammunition from Ukrainian companies.

• The share of Ukrainian-made ammunition has increased from 18% in 2023 to 41% in 2024.

• Ukraine’s Defense Ministry alone signed contracts for producing drones worth $500 million and ammunition worth more than $200 million. Over 1 million drones have been delivered to the military (the drones are procured not only by the Defense Ministry; Umierov provided figures solely for his ministry—Ed.).

• Ukrainian drones have struck targets over 1,000 km deep inside Russia.

• Russia has moved its aircraft 250 km further from the border to safer airfields due to drone attacks.

• 10 Russian ships/boats and one submarine have been destroyed over the past year.

The total losses of Russian equipment amount to more than $15 billion.

Other areas of focus

• Anti-corruption efforts: More than 16 billion UAH ($386.7 million) were saved through new procurement systems in 2024, with over 10 cases of illegal enrichment exposed and shut down by law enforcement.

• Digitalization: The launch of services such as Army+ for soldiers (230,000 servicemembers) and Reserve+ for civilians (already utilized by 3.5 million Ukrainians) has allowed many processes to move online, slashing paperwork and accelerating decisions while tripling the mobilization rate.

• International cooperation: Eight international coalitions across key sectors like drones, air defense, and aviation have been formed, with 34 countries participating. These alliances have delivered five new air defense systems to Ukraine, boosted artillery production, and secured ammunition supplies through a Czech-led initiative.

• Frozen Russian assets: €1.4 billion ($1.56 billion) from frozen Russian assets will be allocated to buy ammunition, air defense systems, and support for Ukrainian weapons manufacturers (about $445 million).

• Prisoner exchanges: 3,300 Ukrainian servicemembers have been freed from Russian captivity.