The state was able to save more than UAH 3.3 billion on the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). This was announced by the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, referring to the NABU report for the last six months, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
“One of the key areas where the greatest efficiency was achieved was the procurement of drones under the Army of Drones programme. Since signing the first contracts for the supply of drones, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), has implemented a strict system of control over the procurement process. According to Fedorov, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection provided NABU detectives with access to a CRM system containing all drone contracts, which allowed for full transparent control over the status of each procurement – from manufacturers to contract details.
“Since this year, the state has been purchasing drones through the closed Prozorro functionality: thanks to competition, drones are contracted at the best prices. Also, on the recommendation of the NABU, a supply chain was created to determine fair prices for Ukrainian drones. These are separate teams that, together with the NABU and journalists, are investigating pricing in the field of UAVs,”
– the Minister wrote.
An important part of the process was also the use of tools from the German technology company SAP for supply management, Fedorov said. This made it possible to track the movement of drones from the manufacturer to the front line, ensuring that the drones reach the soldiers as quickly as possible, rather than being left in warehouses.
A key point in the procurement process was the government’s decision based on NABU recommendations: if a manufacturer overstates the cost of drones, it is obliged to supply drones for the difference with the real price or return the corresponding amount to the state.
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Fedorov said that this approach has resulted in more than UAH 3.3 billion:
- The Defence Forces received an additional 18,413 drones worth over UAH 1.8 billion.
- Almost UAH 1.5 billion was returned to the state.
The Minister emphasised that work on improving the efficiency and transparency of procurement continues, as production volumes of Ukrainian manufacturers continue to grow, and the number and value of state contracts for the supply of drones for the defence of the country increases.
One million drones and the modernisation of the army
The decision to maximise state support for drone production was made in March 2023, when the government approved a resolution. Since then, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been actively working to expand production, provide maximum support to drone manufacturers, and remove bureaucratic obstacles to the creation of UAVs. Recently, Minister Fedorov launched the People’s Drone initiative, under which every citizen can assemble a drone at home at their own expense.
In late 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Ukraine would produce one million drones for the frontline by 2024, referring to FPV drones. Minister Fedorov responded with assurances that this target would even be exceeded. Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Hanna Hvozdyar argues that Ukraine is capable of producing significantly more than one million drones a year, and current production is already ahead of schedule.
In his last article in the Western press on the eve of his resignation as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi stressed the need for a technological breakthrough in the army, with a particular focus on unmanned technologies. The Commander-in-Chief claimed that it would take only 5 months to reorient the army to unmanned systems.
After his dismissal, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the government to work on the creation of a separate type of troops in the Armed Forces – the Unmanned Systems Forces. They were formally established on 6 February 2024.