Tens of thousands of long-range drones to strike Russia, says Ukraine's defense minister
Photo: Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine plans to increase the number of long-range drone strikes on Russian territory severalfold. There will be tens of thousands of drones, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told reporters.
Last year, Ukraine developed a plan for systematic long-range operations and contracted several tens of thousands of long-range (deep strike) drones, which enabled regular high-precision strikes on critical targets deep behind enemy lines.
According to the minister, all drone deliveries are proceeding on schedule, and operations are carried out daily in accordance with approved plans.
“About two weeks ago, a decision was made to increase the number of operations severalfold, and new contracts for tens of thousands of long-range drones are already being prepared to ramp up the intensity and scale of strikes,” he told journalists.
Ukraine is increasing its industrial capabilities
Umerov said that Ukrainian manufacturers have now reached a level that allows the production of more than 4 million drones per year.
“And this year, more than 4 million drones will be delivered to the front. As of today, the front has already received up to 1.5 million drones,” he said.
Earlier, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said that in 2025, Ukraine will need to produce around 4 million drones to cover the front line.
Kubilius also proposed creating a drone army in Europe. According to him, Russia may have around 5 million drones for a potential attack on NATO countries.
