Ukroboronprom to Deliver Several Hundred UAVs to Ukrainian Armed Forces by Year’s End

Ukroboronprom will supply several hundred drones to the Defense Forces of Ukraine by the end of this year. The Ukrainian drones were ordered by the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine. These drones are being purchased as part of the Army of Drones project.

The head of the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, Brigadier General Yuriy Shchyhol, stated this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine news agency. According to him, JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry (previously Ukroboronprom State Concern) is increasing its share of the total volume of purchase for military purposes under the Drone Army project.

More than 900 drones transferred to the Ukrainian military within the Army of Drones project, November 8, 2023. Photo credits: Mykhailo Fedorov

"It has grown from zero to what we buy from them today.

And it was zero back in August. From August, when we signed the first contract, to today, Ukrainian Defense Industry's share has increased from one to several hundred drones that have already been contracted. We plan to receive them by the end of the year," Shchyhol said.

He also added that Ukroboronprom is now working and producing something it has never produced before "for decades." "They started producing FPV drones, long-range drones. We buy these products from them and supply them to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the Head of the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine said.

Herman Smetanin, Director General of JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry (Ukroboronprom), stated in November that a new Ukrainian kamikaze drone with a range of 1,000 kilometers had entered mass production.

Bober and UJ-22 drones of Ukrainian production, July 2023

Domestic long-range drones are already being ordered by the Defense Forces of Ukraine for their combat operations against the Russian invaders.

Illustrative photo of Ukrainian Bober kamikaze drone

Subsequently, Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said that the Ukrainian defense industry has started mass production of drones similar to Iran's Shahed-136.

According to the Minister, the Ukrainian defense industry has now launched mass production of dozens of kamikaze drones per month.

He noted that these are new drones that have not been publicly presented before.