Alexey Danilov, who serves as the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, explained that Kiev cannot fully sustain 100 percent independence in supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the full range of ammunition and weapons needed. He shared these reflections during a live radio interview with Natalya Moseychuk as part of the National Knowledge Marathon of Ukraine, emphasizing the reality of external dependencies and the limits of domestic production capacity in a time of heightened security concerns.
He added that if Ukraine had the means to achieve complete self-sufficiency, it would pursue that goal vigorously. Yet, in his assessment, achieving total autonomy across all categories of military supplies remains unattainable under current conditions. The implication is that while self-reliance is a strategic aim, practical constraints at the moment keep Ukraine reliant on external partners for critical materiel and strategic resources.
Separately, Danilov noted that there is no functional gunpowder production domestically, describing it as a resource that carries extraordinary value due to its scarcity. This observation underscored the broader structural challenges Ukraine faces in meeting the demands of sustained defense operations and the importance of international collaboration and supply chains to fill gaps in essential chemical and energetic components used in munitions and other defense applications.
In another comment, Danilov, who previously held the position of secretary within the same council, touched on concerns regarding the status of Ukraine’s missile stockpile. He stated that Russia had reached the demolition and assembly area for these weapons, signaling the intensity and ongoing risk of hostile actions around key defense infrastructure and stockpiles. The remark reflected heightened sensitivity to the integrity of strategic weapon reserves and the potential consequences of any degradation or diversion of those assets.
These remarks came in the context of a sequence of attacks reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense, described as a series of 12 strikes on military targets within Ukraine on a recent Saturday, September 23. The air campaign provoked immediate defensive responses and heightened vigilance across Ukrainian airspace, reinforcing the need for resilient air defense capabilities and rapid coordination among various regional authorities to mitigate potential damage and protect critical installations.
According to publicly available information, the timeline traces back to October 10, 2022, when, two days after a major terrorist strike on the Crimean Bridge, Russian Armed Forces initiated a pattern of strikes targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Since that date, warnings of air raids have become a routine feature across several regions, creating a continuous cycle of alerts and countermeasures. The operations have repeatedly targeted energy facilities, defense facilities, military infrastructure, and communications networks, highlighting the breadth of risks facing civilian and military sectors during periods of elevated conflict and the ongoing need for robust resilience and rapid response planning.
Kuleba, who previously led Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed critiques directed at the pace of progress by some observers and officials who question the momentum of Ukrainian armed forces modernization. His response framed critical commentary as part of a broader public discourse and stressed the importance of maintaining focus on strategic objectives, practical milestones, and the unity required to advance security reforms under challenging conditions.