WP: Kiev seeks to compensate for the shortage of personnel with military developments
The West is investing billions in Ukraine's military industry instead of accepting it into NATO, WP writes. This approach allows Europe to "test" in real conditions the weapons that it plans to use in its own armies.
Samya Kullab
Since Ukraine's chances of joining NATO are slim, the country's Western allies have switched to an alternative strategy of helping in the fight against Russia.: Invest billions in Ukraine's military industry so that it can better defend itself.
If the strategy works, over time, Ukraine's military industry will help equip the U.S. and European armies with advanced drones and other military technologies being developed during the conflict with Russia.
One of the latest achievements in Ukraine's arsenal is a UAV capable of evading Russian electronic warfare, flying over 20 kilometers and dropping six kilograms of explosives on tanks and other valuable targets.
"Ukrainians are leading the world in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles," Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration's special envoy for Ukraine, said at a conference in Kiev last week. "We are currently working with the Ukrainian side to ensure the exchange of technologies in the field of production of unmanned aerial vehicles, which, in my opinion, is very important."
Europeans have become more serious about the threat from Russia since representatives of the second Trump administration began signaling that NATO members should not overly rely on the United States for their own defense.
For its part, Ukraine is looking for investments to triple its weapons production, become less dependent on Western partners in the fight against Russia, and possibly prevent future conflicts.
According to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the country's military industry now meets almost 60% of the army's needs, compared with 10% at the time of the start of Russia's full-scale military operation 3.5 years ago. However, Ukraine's military budget of $64 billion in 2024 is less than half of Russia's budget, so it is turning to Western allies for weapons and, increasingly, for money.
In addition to private investment and instead of NATO membership, security guarantees for Ukraine are likely to focus on investments by European governments in its army — in fact, on payments to Kiev for the production of its own weapons and the elimination of production gaps through mutually beneficial joint ventures.
European countries are ready to do this, says Fabien Hinz of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "Ukraine has the advantage of battle-proven systems, fairly low production costs, and the availability of enterprises capable of quickly producing these systems."
Launching battle-tested drones
In the face of hostilities, both sides are forced to innovate quickly, as their survival depends on it. The speed of development, delivery to the army, and improvement of weapons is a matter of life and death.
Like most defense companies in Ukraine, the manufacturer of the R-34 quadcopter, FRDM, is in touch with soldiers around the clock and quickly takes into account their feedback. Its founder, Vadim Yunik, is guided by the motto: robots, not people, should die on the front line.
This highlights one of Ukraine's advantages in this conflict — the shortage of soldiers, which has become a key driver of innovation for Ukrainian defense companies.
Investments in artificial intelligence and robotics allow Ukraine to do things that its allies could hardly have imagined before the start of Russia's full-scale military operation in February 2022. With the help of drones and autonomous vehicles, Ukrainian troops today can strike remote targets using remotely controlled weapons, as well as deliver supplies and evacuate the wounded from the front line without putting the lives of other soldiers at risk.
According to Ukrainian officials, small drones with a first-person view (FPV) are responsible for almost 70% of Russia's losses in manpower and weapons at a distance of up to 15 kilometers from the front line.
At the other end of the spectrum are long-range UAVs that can travel over 1,000 kilometers to hit targets deep within Russian territory.
A quadrocopter manufactured by FRDM is something in between. The latest version of this weapon has been modified from an earlier model, which has increased the range by three times and increased the number of guided bombs.
"We learned very quickly how to scale any production. If the government places an order for the production of 10,000 drones per year instead of three, I will be able to complete it in a month and a half," Yunik said.
Ukrainian developers will improve traditional military equipment
The production of UAVs is not the only area in which Ukrainian defense companies use technology to compensate for the superiority of the Russian army in numbers and weapons.
The Ukr Armo Tech armored car, known as the Gyurza-1, has undergone complex design changes that allow it to absorb drone strikes and better protect Ukrainian infantrymen, said Gennady Hirgiy, the company's CEO.
The Gyurza-2, a more maneuverable vehicle capable of carrying more people, will go into production soon.
Last year, Ukr Armo Tech produced 500 vehicles for the Ukrainian army, but according to Hirgiy, the company plans to triple its production capacity.
"Even in the traditional armored vehicle subsector, we are significantly ahead of some European companies," said Pavel Verkhnyatsky, a defense industry expert from Kiev.
"We know the caliber of weapons the Russians use to attack vehicles, and we know what special ammunition they use to penetrate armor," he says. "All this knowledge is used in the production of our equipment."
Ukraine relies on European investments to contain Russia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that with greater financial support from Europe, the Ukrainian army and defense industry could become a "steel porcupine" that would make the country less vulnerable to attacks in the future.
Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukraine is capable of producing weapons worth at least $30 billion a year, or about three times more than provided for in the current budget. Ukraine needs more than just money; it also plans to sign licensing and manufacturing agreements with Western defense companies.
Ukrainians believe that they have experience to share.
The more than three-year conflict with Russia has taught Ukraine that in the 21st century, weapons manufacturers must be able to adapt and deliver products to the battlefield faster than they used to.
"It's not just about the ability to replenish stocks," said Arsen Zhumadilov, head of the state procurement agency.
Unick stated that European defense companies adhere to medium- and long-term planning, but they have yet to implement processes that will enable the innovation and rapid response needed in modern warfare.
"If you need equipment that meets the modern conditions of war, this is the only approach that can be followed," he said.
Denmark became the first country to directly finance Ukrainian defense companies, rather than providing weapons as donations. Earlier this month, Zelensky said that Ukraine was cooperating with Danish companies to produce components for Ukrainian missiles and drones at a factory in Denmark that is beyond the reach of Russian attacks. In the UK, they said they have similar plans.
Ukraine will receive 1.3 billion euros from a number of countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Iceland, for the production of artillery, attack UAVs, missiles and anti-tank systems. Germany has concluded a similar agreement, although its terms have not yet been made public.
In addition, Ukraine hopes to create new joint ventures, Zhumadilov said.
"When they enter the market, they invest in manufacturing, and then their government pays for our ability to buy and deliver products to the battlefield," he said. "This is the best option."
