President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed the government, defense manufacturers, and relevant institutions to ensure that by the end of this year, at least 50% of the weapons used on the front line are of Ukrainian production. The announcement was made during the International Defense Industries Forum.
Currently, over 40% of the weapons employed by Ukrainian forces are either fully produced domestically or manufactured with Ukraine’s participation, Zelenskyy said. He emphasized that this share must continue to grow.
The President also announced the launch of a new program called “Zbroya” (“Weapons”), an export-import system for Ukrainian armaments. He tasked officials with developing its key components and noted that agreements have already been reached to establish program platforms in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Zelenskyy highlighted several achievements of Ukraine’s defense industry:
- The country now produces around 40 Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems every month;
- The successful use of Ukrainian sea drones, which helped regain control over parts of the Black Sea, has influenced naval defense strategies worldwide;
- By 2026, Ukraine aims to achieve a combined drone and missile production output worth the equivalent of $35 billion.
The President stressed that sufficient funding will be crucial to reaching these goals. He suggested that exporting surplus weaponry could provide additional resources for the production of the systems Ukraine still needs