Photo: ukrinform.
An important step in the defence sector has been announced in Ukraine: the country’s state-owned enterprises and a Belgian company have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the production of missiles to counter drones. Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin stressed that this project will significantly strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry and ensure effective protection of critical infrastructure from attacks by Russian drones. This was reported by TimeUkraineIsrael with reference to information from Freedom.
Ukraine’s missile programme: the path to independence
Amid military challenges, Ukraine is actively working to develop its own long-range weapons. Oleksiy Petrov, director of the state enterprise Spetstechnoexport, noted that tests of domestically produced cruise and ballistic missiles are underway. He believes that by mid-2025, Ukraine will be able to put its missiles into production. “I have seen the results of the flight tests that have already been carried out,” he stressed.
Ukraine’s own production of long-range weapons opens up new opportunities for hitting targets on the territory of the aggressor country. In addition, Ukraine has already begun producing 155 mm calibre shells in accordance with NATO standards. Ukrainian enterprises have also focused their efforts on expanding the production of 152-mm and 122-mm ammunition.
The need for new ammunition
Oleksiy Petrov stressed that the 152mm round, which has a range of up to 30km, is critically important for Ukrainian forces, as there is currently a large shortage of such ammunition. “We have to start with Soviet types of weapons, as our artillery systems are designed for them, but the world’s stocks of these ammunition are rapidly depleting,” said military observer Denys Popovych.
Increasing production capacity
At the second International Defence Industries Forum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on the impressive achievements of Ukraine’s defence industry: in the first half of 2024 alone, 25 times more ammunition for artillery and mortars was produced than in the whole of 2022. Ukraine is capable of producing up to four million drones annually, and 15 to 20 Bohdan self-propelled artillery systems are manufactured every month.
Denys Popovych emphasised the importance of the new artillery’s mobility, as “the Bohdana self-propelled artillery system, which was introduced in 2018, is improved and manufactured on the Tatra chassis, and should be able to deliver precise strikes and quickly change positions.”
Innovations at the frontline
On 24 August, the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, a new indigenously produced drone missile called Palianytsia was used for the first time, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 600-700 km. This is evidence of Ukraine’s significant technological achievements in the defence sector, which not only strengthens its military capabilities but also demonstrates its desire for independence in arms production.
Thus, Ukraine is not only adapting to the new conditions of war, but also moving to a new level in the production of its own means of defence, which will be an important factor in the future confrontation with the aggressor.
