Ukraine now on par with Russia in production of kamikaze drones, Minister Kamyshin says
As of 2024, Ukraine has matched Russia in the production of kamikaze drones, similar to Iranian Shahed-131 and Shahed-136, Alexander Kamyshin, the Minister of Strategic Industries, said in an interview aired during the national telethon.
"As of this year, our ability to produce such drones is no longer inferior to Russia's," he stated.
Ukraine is succeeding both in the production of Shahed analogs and in the production of other attack drones.
"Everything exploding in Russia is all ours," the official said.
Asked a clarifying question about how Ukrainian kamikaze drones are similar to Russian-Iranian drones, Kamyshin said: "In terms of the amount of explosives they carry, and in terms of range, and in terms of other technical parameters."
For the first time, the minister of strategic industries announced in November 2023 that Ukraine had started serial production of Shahed analogs. Dozens of such drones were produced every month at the time.
On February 15, 2024, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that a group of allies was going to join forces and transfer 1 million drones to Ukraine.
The next day, Kamyshyn offered Western NATO allies to purchase 1 million drones for Ukraine from Ukrainian manufacturers.