Ukraine’s defense industry now produces over 50% of Armed forces’ needs and moves toward joint European projects

Ukraine’s defense industry has shown unprecedented growth since the full-scale war began: production capacity has increased 50-fold, reaching $50 billion. Thanks to this expansion, domestic manufacturers now supply more than half of the Defense Forces’ weapons needs.

This was stated by Anna Hvozdiyar, advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, during the discussion “European Industrial Deterrence: Lessons and Insights Directly from Ukraine and Europe” at the Munich Security Conference, where this year’s main focus was political negotiations on a new European security architecture and Ukraine’s role in shaping it.

At the conference, Ukrainian defense manufacturers signed several agreements on joint production of reconnaissance UAVs, medium-range strike drones, multirotor drones, and ground-based unmanned systems.

“Ukraine has already proven it can rapidly scale up defense production even in the conditions of a full-scale war. We are becoming a reliable partner, helping Europe build a modern defense system, including through joint production initiatives, to strengthen both our own capabilities and those of our partners,” Hvozdiyar emphasized.

The potential of Ukraine’s defense industry was showcased at the Ukrainian House, temporarily relocated from Davos to Munich for the conference. The ZBROYA exhibition featured samples and models of modern Ukrainian weaponry, including unmanned systems. A special highlight for visitors was the display dedicated to countering Shahed-type drones.