Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Nov. 19 that Ukraine plans to increase the production of long-range drones and missiles as part of the country's resilience plan.
In a speech to the parliament, Zelensky said that the drones would help compensate for the army’s lack of artillery. Ukraine aims to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones next year, and a new technology center will be established.
The president also set the task of producing 3,000 cruise missiles and drone-missile hybrids and finding an effective countermeasure to Russian Shahed-type drones.
The statement follows an earlier announcement on Oct. 21, when Zelensky revealed that the U.S. is preparing to allocate an aid package worth $700-800 million to support Ukraine’s domestic production of long-range capabilities.
In addition to drones, Ukraine is advancing its missile development. Zelensky previously said that the country successfully tested its first domestically made ballistic missile.
Zelensky has also revealed that Ukraine had developed another domestic-made weapon, a missile-drone Palianytsia. He said it has already been used against Russia. The first successful use of the Palianytsia missile was confirmed by Zelensky during his Independence Day speech on Aug. 24.
Ukraine has been developing its own long-range capabilities in lieu of Western long-range arms, the use of which has been restricted by Kyiv's international partners. Only last week did Washington allow the use of ATACMS missiles on Russian soil, marking a significant policy shift.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
