Western arms and growing local production power Ukraine’s frontlines
About 70% of the weapons used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the frontlines against Russian troops are donations from Western partners, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency published on Feb. 7.
Ukrainian troops are dependent on supplies of weapons from allies that are either not produced in Ukraine or are produced in insufficient quantities, such as air defense systems, heavy armored vehicles, and NATO-caliber artillery ammunition.
The Ukrainian defense industry is gradually increasing its production capacity and introducing new models of weapons and equipment, with "state orders increasingly focused on domestic producers. For example, last year almost two-thirds of contracts for the purchase of weapons and military equipment for the Armed Forces were signed with Ukrainian gunsmiths," he said.
Ukraine has managed to reduce its dependence on imports. It is also moving toward self-sufficiency in the production of drones, especially long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as missiles.
"These are the weapons that will be a serious argument for Ukraine. We need weapons of defense and deterrence," Havryliuk said.
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