Over 95% of drones used at front line made in Ukraine, defense ministry says

More than 95% of the drones used by the Ukrainian forces at the front line are made in Ukraine, Interfax Ukraine reported on April 28, citing Deputy Defense Minister Valerii Churkin.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been developing and deploying technological innovations and cutting-edge unmanned systems.

Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.

"We have made a breakthrough in the unmanned systems sector. More than 95% of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) currently used at the front are Ukrainian-made," Churkin said.

Churkin added that in 2024, Ukraine's Defense Ministry authorized more than 330 new models of domestically produced unmanned systems, compared to only 75 models a year earlier.

Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has increasingly turned to innovation and home production. More than 40% of the weapons used on the front line are now produced in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 16.

In the 2025 budget, Ukraine allocated $1.3 billion to defense manufacturing to reduce its reliance on foreign arms deliveries. The government plans to raise over $1 billion this year to support local arms procurement through a so-called Danish model, under which countries can donate arms to Ukraine by purchasing them directly from Ukrainian domestic producers.