Ukraine produces less weaponry than it could due to funding constraints – NYT
Ukraine has ramped up arms production but lacks the funds needed for further growth. Kyiv is urging Western countries to finance Ukrainian manufacturing.
Source: The New York Times
Details: Last year, the private company Ukrainian Armoured Vehicles produced twice as many armoured personnel carriers and mortars as in 2022. Ukraine is increasingly asking its partners not for ready-made weapons, but for funding to enable it to produce them. But company director Vladyslav Belbas says there is not enough funding: "We need to produce more."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimates that Ukrainian-produced weapons currently meet 40% of frontline needs. Drones, which have become ubiquitous on the battlefield, are now almost entirely made in Ukraine. Companies are also developing new types of equipment such as light buggies that can evade Russian drone strikes and robotic platforms for evacuation or logistics.
In 2023, Ukrainian manufacturers received over US$500 million from international partners for arms development and production, but the needs are far greater. Olena Bilousova from the Kyiv School of Economics says Ukraine has enough industrial capacity to manufacture up to US$35 billion worth of weapons annually, yet only about US$15 billion worth is currently being produced. "The funding issue is a bottleneck for our defence industry," Bilousova said.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence budget is three times larger than Ukraine’s – at least US$150 billion compared to Ukraine’s US$50 billion. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that Moscow produces more ammunition in three months than NATO does in a year.
To boost production, Kyiv is proposing a new model to its allies: Ukraine provides the expertise and workforce, and its partners come up with funding and secure facilities. Denmark was the first country to come on board, and more such projects are anticipated.
Background:
- The Ukrainian government recently decided to merge the Ministry of Strategic Industries with the Ministry of Defence.
- Ukraine has significantly increased arms production, and its domestic defence industry now covers 40% of the military's needs.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!