During the second international defense industry forum in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has significantly increased its domestic ammunition production in the past two years. He also mentioned that the country has successfully tested its own ballistic missile. This forum, which was attended by over 300 companies from 30 countries, showcased Ukraine’s success in boosting its defense production capacity.
Zelensky highlighted that in the first half of this year alone, Ukraine produced 25 times more artillery and mortar ammunition than in the entire year of 2022. He also mentioned that the country can now produce 4 million drones per year and has already contracted 1.5 million. Additionally, Ukraine is producing between 15-20 Bohdana howitzers per month.
The president also discussed the development of long-range weapons, including Ukraine’s Palianytsia missile-drone and homegrown ballistic missile. He proudly announced that the new ballistic missile has successfully passed flight tests. Zelensky first mentioned this project in late August, but did not share any details.
The development of domestically produced long-range weapons is crucial for Ukraine’s defense strategy, as their Western partners have refused to authorize deep strikes in Russia with foreign-made missiles. Despite Zelensky’s appeal to Washington during his recent White House visit, the U.S. has not changed its policy on long-range strikes. The U.S. State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated on Sept. 30 that Ukraine can use its own weapons to strike targets in the Russian interior without permission from the U.S.
Ukraine has already had success in hitting military targets, such as airfields and ammunition depots, deep in Russian territory using long-range drones. This further emphasizes the importance of developing and producing their own long-range weapons.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com