Ukraine ranked first in the world in terms of arms imports in 2021–2025. During the same period, Russian arms exports to the world market fell by almost three times.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
According to the institute, Ukraine has become the world’s largest recipient of arms over the past five years. Its share of global arms imports was 9.7%.
The top five importers after Ukraine are India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan. SIPRI noted that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine received weapons from at least 36 countries.
The United States remains the largest supplier of weapons to Ukraine, accounting for 41% of all deliveries. Germany ranks second with a 14% share, and Poland ranks third with a 9.4% share.
Analysts also noted that in 2025, arms supplies decreased slightly compared to the peak levels of 2023–2024. This is attributed to a reduction in US aid and increased secrecy regarding the transfer of certain types of weapons.
At the same time, 25 countries signed agreements with the US to purchase air defense missiles and aerial bombs specifically for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The US, France, Russia, Germany, and China remain the leaders in global arms exports during this period. Together, these countries accounted for about 70% of all arms deliveries.
Germany increased its role in the global arms market, overtaking China and ranking fourth among exporters. Approximately 24% of German supplies were sent to Ukraine.
At the same time, Russia lost a significant part of its position in the arms market. Its share of global exports fell from 21% in 2016–2020 to 6.8% in 2021–2025.
SIPRI notes that the decline in Russian exports is due to the fact that Moscow is using a significant portion of its arms to supply its own army in the war against Ukraine, as well as to international sanctions.
Currently, Russian exports are mainly focused on supplies to India, China, and Belarus, but the overall trend indicates a sharp decline in Russia’s influence on the global arms market.
Last year, Ukraine also topped the global ranking of arms importers, with about half of the supplies coming from the US.