Before Russia’s massive invasion, Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of military equipment and weapons in the world and was even among the top ten until 2014. The country sold various small arms, helicopters, hovercraft, armored vehicles, artillery and rocket launchers, as well as components and units including military aircraft engines and gas turbines.
Ukraine has legally banned arms exports since 2022 to meet its own needs. Of course, a war of such intensity against an enemy superior in all respects requires enormous resources, including financial ones.
Here’s what we know
According to sources from the Financial Times, the Ukrainian government is considering lifting restrictions on arms exports.
At first glance, such a decision may seem illogical, but Ukraine urgently needs components for drone production and is ready to sell part of the drones to ensure a larger scale of production and attract additional investment.
Experts estimate that the Ukrainian military-industrial complex will thus receive up to $20 billion per year, while the Ukrainian state budget this year only provides $6 billion for arms.
Currently, Ukraine is not able to pay for such large government orders and use all spare production capacities, while Russia’s advantage in drones is 5:1 and, by some estimates, 10:1.
During the war, Ukraine increased the production of all types of drones at a rapid pace and is without exaggeration one of the world leaders in this area. So there is no reason to believe that drones made in Ukraine will not be in demand on the global market, especially since they have proven their effectiveness in real combat conditions. Recall that 22,000 tons of ammunition goes up in smoke – Ukraine destroys another large Russian arsenal (video) which can contain up to 22,000 tons of ammunition, and that this strike was carried out by drones of its own production.
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Source: Financial Times
