Ukraine announced plans this week to buy 4.5 million first-person-view drones in 2025, a marked increase from its purchases in 2024 and a clear sign of the importance of unmanned warfare.
In a Monday statement, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said it would carve out $2.6 billion for the purchase. According to the ministry, the 4.5 million drones are an increase of 3 million from 2024, when Ukraine bought 1.5 million.
The drones will all be purchased domestically, a sign that Ukraine’s defense production industry has grown significantly in the past year. Hlib Kanevsky, director of the ministry’s Procurement Policy Department, said Ukraine’s government plans to buy as many drones as possible.
The ministry confirmed that the procurement funds are accounted for in the national budget, ensuring that Ukraine’s front-line troops will receive FPV drones quickly.
Ukraine has spent nearly all of its drone procurement budget on domestically produced drones since the war began, according to the ministry.
FPV drones are small, ground-operated drones that typically cost less than $1,000. Typically, the aircraft are packed with explosives and are directed to crash into military targets.
According to reports, the drones have been instrumental in defending against Russia’s invasion, which began in early 2022. Some estimates suggest that Ukrainian FPV drones have destroyed thousands of Russian tanks and have facilitated attacks against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
To reduce reliance on foreign arms, Ukraine is working to expand its domestic defense industry. While the European country has been the world’s largest arms importer over the past four years, it has seen marked improvement in domestic production of tank and artillery ammunition and UAVs. Additionally, Ukraine has received over $1.5 billion in foreign investment in its defense industry through the Zbroyari Manufacturing Freedom program.
