Ukraine has launched mass production of kamikaze drones with a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers, Herman Smetanin, the head of the state-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry concern, formerly known as Ukroboronprom, told Ukrainska Pravda.
The production is carried out in cooperation with foreign partners, and the Ukrainian military is already ordering the drones for its operations, according to Smetanin.
The former management of the Ukrainian Defense Industry announced on Jan. 13 that it was developing a kamikaze drone capable of reaching a target 1,000 kilometers away. It was at the testing stage back then.
In the Ukrainska Pravda interview, Smetanin also said that part of the 2024 budget for Ukraine's defense industry would be spent on developing ammunition production capabilities.
Kyiv will allocate seven times more money for the development, modernization, and development of the country's defense industry the next year than in 2023, the official added.
Francis Farrell
