Ukraine expects to produce thousands of long-range drones capable of striking deep into Russian territory by the end of the year, Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with Reuters on Feb. 12.

According to Fedorov, Ukraine already has up to 10 companies manufacturing drones capable of reaching Moscow and St. Petersburg.

“The category of long-range kamikaze drones is growing, with a range of 300, 500, 700, and 1,000 kilometers; two years ago, this category did not exist [in domestic production] … at all,” the official said.

Fedorov said he agreed with an assessment by Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov that Kyiv had achieved a “certain kind of parity” with Moscow when it comes to long-range drones.

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Unlike Russia, where drone production is dominated by the state, most UAV manufacturers in Ukraine are private. Fedorov said only one of the 10 companies whose drones could fly to St. Petersburg was a state-owned company.

“We need to act in a non-bureaucratic way,” the minister adds.

“This is the essence of a breakthrough in the war of technology. We are going to continue to bet on this, to work in this direction. Because technology can really save us.”

Ukraine’s UAV production and deliveries increased more than 120-fold in 2023, according to Fedorov. This astonishing growth is part of a broader wartime push to develop and produce drones to narrow the gap with Russia’s strike capabilities.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine