Development of Ukrainian drone market a key area of work: Defense minister

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine’s defense minister in a meeting early Sunday with the country's developers and manufacturers said the development of the Ukrainian drone market is a key area of his ministry's work, according to a statement on Telegram.

“I repeat, the independence of the military industry is one of the elements of the country's defense capability. And currently, one of the key directions of the Ministry of Defense is the development of and supporting the Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) market,” Oleksii Reznikov said, the ministry statement noted.

Reznikov said it is crucial to support the Ukrainian UAV market, in particular through drones with a wide range of applications, including on air, land, and water.

“This is about adjusting the artillery, and about inflicting damage on the enemy (strike drones), and about the delivery of military equipment, evacuation of the wounded, and such,” he noted.

Reznikov also said the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces are measured by hundreds of thousands of UAVs “of various modifications.”

“The work on closing these needs continues. In particular, during eight months of full-scale war, more UAVs were put into operation than in the last 5 years,” he said.

The statement added that Reznikov handed certificates of registration for standard items to a number of manufacturers, permitting such products from these manufacturers to be used by the military.