Kyiv — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an ambitious plan to ramp up domestic production of interceptor drones to between 500 and 1,000 units per day, as the country faces continued waves of Russian drone assaults, reported by Austrian Nationnal Television ÖRF.
“There is a confirmed plan — reaching 500 to 1,000 interceptor drones per day. It won’t be easy,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. “A deadline has been set, and the responsible officials are personally accountable for meeting it.”
The move signals Ukraine’s urgency in defending its airspace as drones continue to shape the nature of the war. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have increasingly relied on unmanned aerial vehicles not just on the frontlines but for strikes deep into each other’s territory.
Experts warn that Russia is on track to boost its own drone production to similar levels — as many as 1,000 drones daily — in the near future. This has placed pressure on Ukraine to respond with equal capacity to intercept and neutralize incoming threats.
Drones have become an essential tool in modern warfare, offering cheaper, more flexible alternatives to traditional missiles or manned aircraft. Ukraine has already relied heavily on both foreign-supplied and domestically produced drones for surveillance, attack, and air defense.
Zelenskyy’s announcement reflects not just military necessity but a broader push for self-reliance in wartime production. As international support faces growing political scrutiny in some Western countries, Kyiv is leaning further into its domestic defense industry to fill critical gaps.
