Ukraine Plans to Ramp Up Drone Production in 2024, Aiming for One Million FPV Drones

 Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin announced plans to ramp up drone production in 2024, stating that all production capacities are ready to start contracting for the upcoming year. The country aims to produce a million first-person-view (FPV) drones, in addition to more than 11,000 medium- and long-range attack drones. This comes as Ukraine has been intensively using FPV drones, originally designed for personal civilian use, but modified for battlefield reconnaissance and attacks, since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence in the country's ability to meet the ambitious drone production goal, emphasizing the importance of increasing drone production and creating special units to manage them. Kamyshin revealed that in December alone, over 50,000 FPV drones were produced in Ukraine, with plans to also manufacture over 10,000 mid-range strike drones and 1,000 drones with a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) in the upcoming year.

The shift towards domestic weapons production is part of Ukraine's strategy to secure stable deliveries, reduce reliance on partners' aid, and give a boost to the economy. The rapid expansion of drone production facilities reflects the country's commitment to bolstering its military capabilities and adapting to the evolving nature of modern warfare.