Ukraine has equaled Russia’s ability to manufacture Shahed drone analogs.

General Director of Ukroboronprom Herman Smetanin stated: “In 2024, Ukraine will catch up with the Russian Federation in the production of kamikaze drones similar to the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136, as well as in the production of other attack drones.”

According to Smetanin, many Ukrainian attack UAV developers use Ukroboronprom’s capacity to scale their production.

“We have already signed several contracts with private manufacturers, mostly concerning licensed production. So, in particular, we are talking about the production of drones – private enterprises cannot provide the required quantity, so we sign a license agreement, and our enterprises are involved in the production,” said Smetanin.

He added: “Many private development companies and scientists are involved in developing new types of weapons. We cooperate with these manufacturers and, in this way, ensure the supply of the necessary weapons to the Armed Forces.”