Украина рассматривает возможность экспорта местного оружия для стимулирования развития сектора беспилотников, сообщает FT.

This is reported by Financial Times, citing its own sources.

Removing the ban on the export of Ukrainian weapons could yield up to $20 billion in profit for Ukrainian arms manufacturers, enabling an increase in domestic production for the military.

FT notes that after the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022, Ukraine prohibited the export of military goods in order to ensure its army was adequately supplied.

However, the Ukrainian government currently lacks the funds to procure all necessary types of armaments, particularly drones, and to invest in further research and development. Thus, allowing companies to export surplus products is now widely viewed as a means to attract investors.

At the same time, Russia has significantly ramped up its weapons production, with participants in the Ukrainian industry estimating Russia's advantage in combat drones to be between 5-10 to 1.

For instance, Dmitry Khasapov, the CEO of "Ukrspetsystems," commented to FT that Ukrainian military forces are experiencing a "colossal" shortage of drones, and his company is not receiving enough government orders to match its production capacity: "The state lacks the funds to purchase them."

It is worth noting that the current year's budget for procuring armaments, particularly from domestic producers, amounts to $6 billion out of $40 billion allocated for the defense sector. Next year, it is proposed to allocate 2.2 trillion hryvnias for Ukrainian defense, with plans to increase the budget for weapon production by 65% — up to 300 billion hryvnias.