Between 2020 and 2024, Ukraine became the world’s top purchaser of significant weaponry, according to SIPRI, which noted a dramatic rise in acquisitions—almost one hundred times higher than the preceding half-decade. This information was released by the institute on Monday.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has greatly increased its local weapons manufacturing since 2022, which is a clear reaction to Russia’s full-scale attack that began in February of that year.
Approximately 35% of all required weaponry is now being produced domestically, up from less than 10% at the start of the full-scale invasion.
Currently, Europe fulfills approximately 30% of Ukraine’s military requirements, with an additional 40% supplied by the United States.
However, Ukraine has the potential to produce even more, according to Herman Smetanin, the country’s Strategic Industries Minister, who spoke with Euronews.
“Up to 40% of weapons used at the frontlines are made in Ukraine. It is almost a half and we can produce even more, we just need funding,” Smetanin said.
Around 800 weapons manufacturers are active in Ukraine, providing jobs for roughly 300,000 individuals. According to Smetanin, each of these companies has the potential to boost their manufacturing levels; however, they face financial constraints and an absence of sustained investment support.
He explains this clearly, noting that “no individual country could achieve complete self-sufficiency considering the severity of Russia’s assault on Ukraine.”
“We face financial limitations, as does Russia. However, their economic scale and size differ from ours. Consequently, they have some additional flexibility compared to us,” Smetanin noted.
Following Smetanin’s interview with Euronews, Ukraine granted private firms permission to utilize defense technologies controlled by the government.
When a government client in the defense sector needs weaponry quantities beyond the capacity of public entities, the Ministry of Defense can transfer the design specifications to additional producers, including private companies, under revised regulations.
Smetanin stated that Ukraine’s primary accomplishment differs.
Ukraine’s main weapon
Smetanin stated that we now have a new cohort of weapon designers and creators,” he added, noting that due to their efforts, Ukraine is “gaining strength globally because of the technology we possess.
“Consider deep strike drones, first-person view drones, and other technological advancements. Who’s behind their creation? It’s primarily young individuals, young engineers, as well as postgraduate and graduate students from our Ukrainian universities. We’re seeing a new wave of youth emerge, equipped with the potential to drive progress in this nation over the next five or ten years,” he highlighted.
And because of their efforts, Ukraine is shifting its strategy and demonstrates to the globe that there’s plenty for the world to learn from Ukraine, Smetanin added with pride.
Today, an increasing number of international visitors come here, observe our production facilities, and become highly intrigued about their costs,” he stated. “They express keen interest in acquiring our technology due to its significantly lower expense in Ukraine—approximately ten times less—and appreciate that all developments have undergone thorough testing, thus eliminating long waiting periods.
Ukraine is currently awaiting advanced weaponry from domestic production, particularly anti-aircraft missiles, which the nation had never manufactured prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“We possessed just one anti-ship missile. Our production was limited to mere dozens of these missiles, despite our development efforts spanning a decade,” Smetanin remembered.
After three years of comprehensive invasion, he stated that Ukraine now possesses its domestically produced missiles.
In December, Ukraine unveiled a new domestically produced missile drone dubbed the “Peklo” (meaning “Hell” in Ukrainian). This latest addition to the country’s arsenal has a reported range of 700 kilometres and can reach speeds up to 700km/h.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared by late 2024 that the series production of the long-range Palyanytsia missile drone had commenced, while tests for the new Ruta missile were still in progress.
Also a new long-range version of Ukraine’s domestically produced Neptune cruise missile is expected to become operational in the near future.
The Neptune is currently best known as the weapon used to sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva, during the initial months of the Russian invasion in spring 2022.
Patriot on pause
Smetanin remained very tight-lipped on any other projects Ukraine has been working on amid its missile production programme, saying only that due to the unfortunate circumstances, Ukraine had to push harder to develop its defence industry and can already now produce arms together with European manufacturers.
“Now the company that produces NASAMS is thinking about integrating the Ukrainian rocket into its complex,” he said.
NASAMS, aka Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, is a European-made mobile air defence system capable of launching 72 missiles in just 12 seconds. It is used to intercept aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles within a range of up to 40 kilometres.
But when it comes to protecting itself against Russia’s most powerful ballistic missiles, Ukraine only has the US-made Patriot defence systems. And with Washington now pausing its military shipments to Kyiv, they could soon run out of ammunition.
“This is the US licence and nothing can be done without their approval. This is the most complicated and the most concerning item in terms of Ukraine’s dependence,” Smetanin concluded.
