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Ukraine Becomes World’s Leading FPV Drone Producer With Over 2.2 Million Units Built

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Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
Author
Ukraine Becomes World’s Leading FPV Drone Producer With Over 2.2 Million Units Built
Illustrative image. FPV drones lie ready for handover to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 22, 2024, in Lviv, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukraine has become the world’s top producer of FPV drones, manufacturing more than 2.2 million units and rapidly expanding its defense industrial base to meet the demands of modern warfare, leading defense officials said during the Ukrainian Weapons 2024 forum in Kyiv, which UNITED24 Media correspondent attended on April 11.

“I won’t repeat what my colleague already said about how this growth was achieved,” said Maksym Vasylenko, board member of the Ukrainian Arms Council, head of the NRC Association, and co-founder and CEO of Tencore LLC, a company that develops drones for Ukraine’s armed forces.

“But it’s no secret that we are now the number one country in the world for FPV drone production. We’ve produced over 2.2 million drones, and we’ve already begun working with $35 billion in investments and contracts. That’s the goal we must continue to pursue.”

Vasylenko noted that Ukraine’s production drive goes beyond drones.

“We’ve ramped up manufacturing of missiles, electronic warfare systems (EW and REW), and ground robotic platforms. More than 50% of the materials used in these systems are now sourced locally,” he added.

“In addition, there’s already a company that has built drones using 100% domestically produced components.”

This shift to localization marks a critical milestone for Ukraine’s defense industry. In addition to ensuring faster delivery and supply chain security, it signals Ukraine’s strategic aim to become self-reliant in defense manufacturing amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Earlier, European countries pledged over €21 billion ($24 billion) in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting of Western backers in Brussels, underscoring continued efforts to help the country counter Russia’s ongoing invasion.

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