Ukraine Can Produce Millions of FPV Drones a Year, Zelensky Says

April 15 ------ Ukraine’s defense industry is now capable of producing millions of first-person-view (FPV) drones every year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, highlighting the scale and growing sophistication of the country’s domestic weapons production.

Speaking in an address marking Ukrainian Gunsmith Day on Monday, April 13, Zelensky said Ukraine’s arms sector has developed into a major force, supplying not only FPV drones but also long-range missiles, interceptors, shells, and robotic systems in use on the battlefield. “The capabilities of Ukraine’s defense industry amount to millions of FPV drones per year,” Zelensky said.

He added that Ukraine now has deep-strike capabilities, interceptors, and millions of shells, as well as long-range missile systems that are no longer experimental. “And not just prototypes, but a real force that is already operating,” he said. “Flamingo, Ruta, Peklo, Neptune, Palyanytsia, Vilha. We can already be proud of all of this, but we certainly will not stop there.”

Enemy will feel it

Zelensky said these were only Ukraine’s first steps and that the defense industry would continue to expand. “The industry will develop, and the enemy will feel it,” he said. “Everyone can see the historic range of our drones – 1,750 kilometers [1,087 miles] from our border. There will be more. This is not about records, but about justice that will find evil anywhere in the world.” He said Ukraine is already shaping the future of warfare on the battlefield. “The future is already here, already on the battlefield, and Ukraine is creating it,” Zelensky said.

Robots replacing soldiers

Zelensky also said that, for the first time in the war, Ukraine’s ground robots and drones had captured an enemy position without infantry. “For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms and drones,” he said. “The occupiers surrendered, and this operation was carried out without the involvement of infantry and without losses on our side.”

He said Ukrainian unmanned ground systems, including Ratel, Termit, Ardal, Borsuk, Zmiy, Protector and Volia, had carried out more than 22,000 missions in just three months. “In other words, more than 22,000 times lives were saved,” Zelensky said. “Robotic systems went into the most dangerous zones instead of soldiers.”

Ukraine’s security expertise in global demand

Zelensky argued that Ukraine is not merely keeping pace with changes in warfare but is emerging as one of the leaders in security technology. “Our Ukrainian security experience, our military expertise, is now the most desired asset for dozens of countries around the world,” Zelensky said. He stressed that Ukraine was not turning its arsenal into a marketplace or emptying its own stockpiles. “We are offering a security partnership – long-term and profitable for Ukraine,” he said.

Interceptors already working in Gulf states

Zelensky said Ukrainian interceptor systems are already operating in the Middle East and Gulf states as part of broader air defense cooperation. According to Zelensky, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar already have missile defenses, but Ukrainian expertise helps them detect and counter Shahed-type drones on a large scale. He said Ukraine has developed the full range of tools needed for that task, including radar coverage, electronic warfare systems, communication between air defense components, and the interception itself. “Ukraine knows how to do all of this,” he said.

‘Made in Ukraine’ means effective and powerful

Ukraine’s growing arsenal of missiles, unmanned systems, interceptors, strike drones, maritime drones, reconnaissance systems, artillery, ammunition, armored vehicles, and robotic systems is already protecting the country and saving lives, Zelensky said.

He said these weapons prove that “Made in Ukraine” is synonymous with something “effective and powerful.” “Our defense industry has become completely different – new, strong,” Zelensky said. “Every new Ukrainian development brings us closer to peace. Our peace. A long, dignified one.” He also thanked the engineers, designers, technicians, and factory workers behind Ukraine’s wartime defense production, saying their work had transformed the country’s arms industry into one that is globally respected.

Source: kyivpost.com