Ukraine is betting on land robots and seeking billions more in investment to boost its domestic weapons manufacturing, according to Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s minister for strategic industries. Land systems will be used for various tasks like medical evacuation and de-mining. As Ukraine aims to counter Russia with more advanced weapons, investment is crucial to ramp up production. Kamyshin revealed the need for $10 to 15 billion in investments in the Ukrainian weapons industry.
The U.S. State Department granted $2 billion for Ukraine in May, some of which will support Ukrainian industry. This funding could lead to significant upgrades in Ukraine’s defense industrial capacity. The Ukrainian Defense Industry conglomerate is collaborating with various U.S. companies on joint projects. Ukrainian producers, already hardworking, could scale up production with more funding.
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian defense producers create challenges, with around two attacks per week. Ukraine has had success in producing drones domestically and aims to increase the use of AI for targeting. While the U.S. and EU are increasing munitions production, there are challenges with long-term predictability and setting up new production plants quickly. Ukrainian manufacturers have a head start due to their ongoing defense against Russia’s invasion.
