Ukrainian manufacturers have ramped up output of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the extent that Kyiv's current drone procurement budgets are not sufficient to buy everything being produced, Ukraine's technology minister said on Tuesday.
Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister who also handles the digital brief, has championed the use of drones to fight off the Russian invasion since its early days.
"As of today, the market has accelerated much faster than the amount of money to buy all the UAVs," Fedorov told Ukrainian national television.
"Therefore we need to increase financing and open up markets further, so that prices fall thanks to competition and localisation of part (production) begins," he said.
UAVs have been widely used by both Ukraine and Russia in the 22-month war, providing armies with constant eyes in the sky and allowing them to destroy into targets hundreds of times the drone's value, such as air defence systems and advanced radars.
Aerial vehicles are the most commonly used type of drone, although sea and land-borne devices are also being deployed.
According to the minister, there are now about 200 companies in Ukraine making drones, and approximately 70 local firms have now signed contracts to supply drones to the state.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Raveena Tandon And Rasha Thadani's Red Carpet Moment
Ukraine, Russia Both Claim Advances In Kursk Region US Welcomes India's Engagement In War Between Russia, Ukraine Ukrainian Troops Moving Further In Russia's Kursk, Says Zelensky Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Delhi Experienced 15 Consecutive Days Of Rainfall, Says Weather Department Pilot Dies After Plane Crashes During Aerobatic Show In France Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.