- Ukraine plans millions of drones annually after claims of dramatic production growth
- $1.1 billion in European funding bolsters Kyiv’s push for expanded drone production capacity
- Ukraine’s battlefield experience accelerates demand for greater drone production
Ukraine says its drone production capacity has expanded to 10 million units annually, and there are already plans to double production to 20 million.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the report, claiming that Ukraine has already surpassed its previous goal of producing one million drones annually, despite widespread skepticism.
“I remember when I first publicly announced the state’s plan: 1 million drones a year,” Zelensky said. “There was great skepticism everywhere – both inside and outside… We make 10 million drones a year. Ten, and it will be 20.”
Production ambitions are expanding along with European support
Zelensky said achieving this next production milestone would depend on continued cooperation with international partners supporting Ukraine’s expanding defense production sector.
The announcement coincided with new defense cooperation between Ukraine and the EU worth $1.1 billion, placing drone production at the center of Kiev’s long-term military planning.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also confirmed the new defense industry arrangement known as the Drone Deal
The agreement builds on previous efforts already underway between Ukraine and its European partners in the defense sector.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said six separate agreements have already been concluded under the Drone Deal framework.
He also claims that more than 20 countries are working to join the same cooperation model, potentially expanding financial backing and industrial participation beyond current European partners.
Drone warfare drives industrial expansion
Ukraine’s growing production targets follow extensive battlefield reliance on unmanned systems throughout the conflict, where drones have increasingly supported surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strike operations.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukrainian forces hit more than 800,000 verified Russian targets during 2026 using drones alone.
These targets included personnel, artillery, air defense systems, multiple launch rocket systems, headquarters, transportation assets, depots, electronic warfare equipment, and ground robotic systems.
Fedorov also said that these operations contributed to about 167,000 Russian troops being killed or seriously wounded during the same period.
However, such battlefield figures are still difficult to independently verify during active conflict.
Beyond the immediate military requirements, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly outlined much broader ambitions for domestic manufacturing.
They claim that the country could eventually become the world’s largest producer of drones and robotic systems.
Ukraine’s production of drones could exceed the combined production of China, Russia and the United States, surpassing 30 million units annually within several years.
Whether Ukraine achieves these production targets will depend on financing, production capacity, component access and continued international support.
However, recent announcements suggest that Ukrainian officials believe the drone’s output has already exceeded expectations set just a few years ago.
Via Interfax (originally in Ukrainian)
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