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Ukraine produced over 30,000 bomber drones in 2024, minister says

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Ukraine produced over 30,000 bomber drones in 2024, minister says
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as other Ukrainian officials are inspecting Ukrainian drones in Kyiv on Jan. 16, 2025. (Herman Smetanin/Telegram)

Ukraine produced more than 30,000 bomber drones in 2024, Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin said on Jan. 16, as unmanned systems become an increasingly vital capability in the war with Russia.

The bomber drones were created during Russia's full-scale invasion and operate mainly at night. They can also remotely disperse mines or transport ammunition, food, and medicine to Ukrainian positions.

Due to their ability to strike at night, Russian soldiers reportedly dub these drones "Baba Yaga," after a mythical witch.

"There are already dozens of bomber drones in Ukraine, and more than 30,000 pieces were produced last year," Smetanin said.

These, as well as several other reconnaissance drones, were presented to President Volodymyr Zelensky and the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the latter's visit to Kyiv on Jan. 16.

According to Smetanin, Kyiv and London also developed a carrier platform for first-person-view (FPV) drones.

Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks by Ukrainian troops.

Kyiv delivered more than 200,000 domestically-produced drones to front-line units as of the end of 2024, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

Ukrainian military releases footage of rare Russian reconnaissance drone downing
“A rare bird was shot down by anti-aircraft gunners and pilots of the 63rd Brigade — a Russian experimental reconnaissance drone Merlin-VR,” the brigade’s statement read.
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Kateryna Denisova

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Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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The project would involve Romanian investment in a local factory, likely in Brasov, where Ukrainian and Romanian teams would collaborate on manufacturing drones based on Ukrainian designs developed through wartime experience.

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