Ukraine urgently needs $6B to its boost production of interceptor drones, with up to 1,000 of these UAVs used daily.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tasked Ukrainian manufacturers with ensuring that the country has at least 500-1,000 UAVs at its disposal every day. He has given his assurance that government officials would secure contracts for these drones and is working with allies to avoid funding shortages. “The total and urgent cost of this issue is now $6B,” the president stated.

Zelenskyy mentioned that currently there are four top defense companies that produce interceptor drones, and in the future, ten manufacturers will possess similar capabilities. He noted that Ukraine’s annual need for military tech, including missiles, drones, and electronic warfare, is about $25B. To secure funding, Zelensky directed officials to prepare $10-30B in export contracts for Ukrainian drones to be sent to the US.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian company 3DTech has developed a reusable interceptor drone, the Predator Shooter, equipped with a six-barreled 12-gauge gun that uses standard ammunition. The drone’s capability to shoot down Russian attack UAVs is already being tested on the front line.