At a closed-door meeting with representatives of the G7 countries in Kyiv, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said that they had managed to launch the production of ammunition for UAVs following the first 100 days of the new Defence Ministry team's work.
"We are prioritising drones, we have established production, but we do not disclose it. We have a production plan and a financing plan," the minister said, ArmyInform reports. Umerov added that the government does not expose the details of these plans.
Rustem Umerov believes that Russia has used such confidentiality to create a narrative that Ukraine is not capable of producing drones.
However, the Ministry controls production and has information on how many drones the army needs, where to produce them and where to buy them.
Also, according to the minister, the government has started purchasing UAVs and FPV drones. Together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they have formed the needs for drones for 2024 to meet the plan of one million drones announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The problem for Ukraine is that drone parts are exported to Russia bypassing sanctions, Umerov said.