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Ukraine Could Produce 20 Million Drones and Thousands of Missiles Annually With Partner Funding
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Ukraine can produce up to 20 million drones a year and thousands of missiles for deep strikes and air defense if international partners provide the necessary funding, Deputy Defense Minister Mstyslav Banik said during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Spring Session in Lithuania on June 2.
Speaking online to around 250 lawmakers from NATO member states and partner countries, Banik urged allies to speed up political and military support for Ukraine, with a focus on financing weapons that can reach the battlefield this year.
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Among Ukraine’s most urgent needs, he listed funding for air defense and other critical weapons through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, the purchase of missiles for Patriot systems, long-range 155mm artillery ammunition under the Czech initiative, and direct financing for Ukrainian drone and missile production.
“For Ukraine, it is primarily important to purchase the weapons and military equipment that can be delivered to the front this year,” Banik said.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the country’s defense industry already has a unique production capacity that could be fully activated within several months if funding is available.
Banik said Ukraine is capable of producing up to 20 million drones annually, along with thousands of missiles designed for long-range strikes and air defense missions.
He also briefed NATO lawmakers on the battlefield impact of Ukrainian innovation. According to Banik, Ukrainian forces now carry out around 5,000 monthly strikes at distances of more than 20 kilometers using middle-strike drones, targeting Russian logistics deeper behind the front line.
He said Ukraine has made warfare more technological and more cost-efficient through the large-scale use of FPV drones and digital systems that support real-time reconnaissance, analytics, and targeting calculations.
“I say this from my own experience of operating FPV drones and commanding a unit. Now in the Ministry of Defense, our entire team combines strategic vision with a deep understanding of the battlefield,” Banik said.
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To preserve Ukraine’s technological edge, Banik called for a systematic increase in defense financing. He urged partners to provide additional bilateral funding so that total support can reach the target of $60 billion this year.
The deputy defense minister also said Ukraine is ready to build a mutually beneficial partnership with NATO countries by testing allied products under real combat conditions and sharing technology, data, and battlefield lessons.
“We want to develop our relations with NATO members into a mutually beneficial partnership. This year, we are ready to give Europe more: by testing your products on our battlefield, sharing technologies and data,” Banik said.
Earlier, Ukrainian FPV drone operators said they had set a new range record by striking a target 102 kilometers away with a quadcopter-type FPV drone, without using a carrier drone or “mothership” system.
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