Ukraine produced virtually no weapons before Russia started the war in February 2022. But the local arms industry is now booming. This is reported by The Washington Post, according to UNN.
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The factories produce shells, mortars, military vehicles, missiles, and other items important to the war effort. In 2023, production tripled, and is expected to increase sixfold this year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government meeting in January.
Local production is not enough to compensate for the loss of international support, especially weapons from the United States. But with a $60 billion aid package stalled in Congress, domestic production is more critical than ever
For some important items, such as drones that have changed the way warfare is conducted, Ukraine already produces 90 percent of what it needs, Mykhailo Fedorov, the Minister of Digital Transformation, said at a conference last month.
Ukrainian defense companies are also trying to meet the military's biggest need by producing their own NATO-standard 155mm shells, which are needed for artillery systems supplied by the western sides of Ukraine.