Ukraine is experiencing rapid development in its defense industry, particularly in the production of drones and missile technology. The newly appointed Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, who previously led the Ministry of Digital Transformation, emphasized that his team has not only implemented individual projects but has also created entire innovative markets that did not exist before.
This is reported by Business • Media
Dynamics of Drone and Missile Production Development
At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression, there were only seven drone manufacturing companies in Ukraine. As of January 2026, their number has already exceeded 500. The number of companies specializing in the development of electronic warfare systems has also significantly increased: there are now over 200, whereas two years ago there were only two. An important change has also been the emergence of more than 20 private missile manufacturers in the market, whereas there were none before the war. The segment of ground robotic complexes is also developing, with over 100 companies currently operating in this field.
Innovative Approaches in Defense
Mykhailo Fedorov highlighted the implementation of asymmetric solutions that allow effective counteraction against the enemy even in challenging conditions. FPV drones are used for destroying armored vehicles instead of expensive anti-tank missile systems, and drone copters partially replace scarce ammunition and artillery. Among the innovations is also the use of interceptors as part of air defense.
“We began systematically searching for asymmetric solutions where classical warfare was too costly or impossible for us: FPV drones instead of anti-tank guided missiles for destroying armored vehicles, drone copters instead of scarce ammunition and artillery, interceptors as part of air defense,” said Fedorov.
Fedorov added that only the National Guard of Ukraine’s “Lazar” regiment, which received state support from the very beginning, has destroyed enemy equipment worth approximately 15 billion dollars.
As Minister of Defense, Fedorov promised to do everything possible to elevate the development of Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex to a qualitatively new level. He stressed that technologies in the defense sector must become a key industry for Ukraine in global markets and a driver of the country’s economic growth.