Policy

Zelensky held a technological meeting: what will change in the drone war

Today, on March 12, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a regular meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dedicated to the development of unmanned systems and their use on the battlefield. One of the key topics was the fight against Russian electronic warfare and air defense systems. The head of state said this during his evening address, Komersant ukrainskyi reports

Drones as a strategic advantage

During the meeting, the military, government officials and representatives of defense companies discussed the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones, their long-range strikes and technological improvements.

“We analyzed the use of drones in the recent period: assessment of strikes, results of their use, and identification of the most effective models. The discussion involved the military, government officials and, most importantly, drone and weapon manufacturers. We considered many technical aspects that need to be finalized,” Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasized that Ukraine needs to increase drone production, which requires new contracts, financing, and the involvement of international investors.

“Our Ukrainian drone production and constant modernization of drones is one of the key parts of the Russian deterrent system that is needed to ensure Ukraine’s security in the long term, and it will also be our international advantage – how we will be able to export security after this war,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

Countering Russian electronic warfare and air defense

Particular attention was paid to the neutralization of Russian electronic warfare and air defense systems, which significantly complicate the work of Ukrainian drones.

The President emphasized that Ukraine must strengthen drone production, which requires new contracts, funding, and investments from international partners. Ukrainian manufacturers have already presented a number of technological solutions that can significantly improve the effectiveness of drones on the battlefield.

“The key thing is to increase the ability of our weapons to overcome Russian electronic warfare and air defense,” the Head of State noted.

Ukrainian drones are of interest in the world

Zelenskyy emphasized that unmanned technologies, which are already being actively used in the war, are attracting the attention of international partners. He emphasized that Ukraine has every opportunity to become one of the leaders in this field.

“In ten days we will return to the discussion of this issue, and it is important to get concrete answers to all the aspects that were raised today,” he summarized.

The President emphasized that all the achievements in the field of unmanned weapons realized today will work for the security of Ukraine not only now, but also in the future, strengthening its defense potential for years to come.

More money for more drones

This year, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine will allocate more than UAH 110 billion for the purchase of drones, including more than UAH 102 billion through the Defense Procurement Agency.

“While in 2023 the Ministry of Defense purchased thousands of drones, and in 2024, together with the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, more than 1.5 million drones were purchased, this year the numbers will be even higher, as the capacity of the domestic defense industry in 2025 is approximately 4.5 million FPV drones. And the Ministry of Defense plans to purchase all of them,” said Hlib Kanevskyi, Director of the Procurement Policy Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

According to him, all procurement plans for 2025 have received budgetary funds and this will allow the frontline to be supplied with unmanned aerial vehicles as soon as possible.

Ukraine outperforms Russia in the production of FPV drones

In an interview with Ukrinform, First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk said that the drone industry in Ukraine is developing at a breakthrough pace and, for example, Ukraine is currently outperforming the Russian Federation in the production of FPV drones.

He said that since February 24, 2022, more than 1,300 new models of weapons and military equipment manufactured by Ukrainian enterprises have been codified for the needs of the Defense Forces. The largest group of them is the BpAK and ammunition for them.

Last year alone, more than 250 new UAV models of various types and purposes were approved for use in the Defense Forces.