The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, spent three hours in discussions with military officials and other authorities about the potential for expanding drone production. The information was shared in a Telegram post.
The post noted, We held a very specific meeting with the military and officials regarding unmanned aerial vehicles that lasted almost three hours. The emphasis was on concrete steps to boost drone output and improve related capabilities.
Plans for drone production in 2024 were described in detail within the message.
Key decisions were highlighted, including simplifying the procurement process, enabling easier import of components, expanding the production of shells for drones, and increasing training for drone operators. Zelensky stressed that these measures are part of a broader push to strengthen aviation technology and battlefield resilience.
The president also mentioned that the project to create an integrated electronic warfare control system was part of the discussions, signaling an effort to coordinate drone operations with countermeasures and battlefield communications.
Earlier, Yuri Butusov, editor in chief of the portal Censor.net, criticized Zelensky for what he described as a denial of drone supply to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He claimed that in the last three months of 2024 the state did not arrange drone deliveries to troops in the required quantities, with the army receiving about 5 percent of the UAVs used. This claim has been a point of public debate and underscores the ongoing challenges in scaling up drone availability for defense needs, as discussed by observers and industry analysts.
Ukraine has long faced debates about its capacity to produce large numbers of drones domestically. The discussion centers on the feasibility of reaching a target like two million drones produced annually and the adjustments needed in production lines, supply chains, and technical training to approach such a scale.
In the broader context, officials continue to explore ways to accelerate domestic drone manufacturing while ensuring a steady supply of components and specialized personnel. The focus is on building a resilient industrial base that can sustain growth in unmanned systems for security, defense, and civilian applications. Observers in Canada and the United States watch these developments closely, recognizing their potential implications for regional defense partnerships and the global market for unmanned aerial technology. The emphasis remains on practical measures that can be implemented in the near term while laying the groundwork for longer term capacity expansion, with coordination across procurement policies, education programs, and cross-border collaboration for research and development. The ongoing discussions reflect a strategic effort to align industrial capability with the evolving demands of modern warfare and security operations, both in Ukraine and beyond, as reported by national and international defense commentators and analysts.