Kiev: Autonomous weapons production triples – news.ORF.at

According to its own statements, Ukraine significantly increased the production of military equipment in 2023 despite the ongoing Russian air strikes. “In general, we have tripled our production this year,” Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, told reporters in Kiev today.

Nearly a third of the 4.9 percent economic growth was achieved through arms companies. In total, about 300,000 workers currently work in 500 companies, most of them in the private sector.

Gunpowder is in short supply around the world

According to the Minister, Kiev has, among other things, increased mortar production by 42 times. The production of artillery shells almost tripled.

For 155mm NATO grenades, there is still dependence on Western supplies. But Kiev is working to establish its own production. “We plan to move to serial production next year,” Kamyshin announced. However, one problem is purchasing gunpowder, which is in short supply around the world.

One million tiny drones

In addition, Ukraine now produces six Bohdana self-propelled howitzers every month. According to the minister, the production of infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles has increased significantly. However, this is still far from covering your specific needs.

The lion's share of drones used in front-line operations already comes from our production. More than 1 million FPV drones – manually controlled drones whose flight can be tracked via an on-device camera – are expected to be produced in 2024.