The "Ukrainian Shahed" drones. Production is underway at full force
Oleksandr Kamyshyn, the Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, has updated the public on the ongoing production of Ukrainian combat drones. As per his statements, quoted in the Ukrainian edition of Forbes magazine, Ukraine possesses the capability to produce dozens of drones every month, comparable to the Iranian Shahed drones.
2:53 PM EST, November 16, 2023
Kamyshyn emphasized that Ukraine has initiated mass production of these drones, referring to them as "Ukrainian Shaheds". The production cycle includes manufacturing dozens of these machines monthly. Moreover, the Minister indicated an increase in the production of "other objects", refraining from providing further details.
Ukraine Commences Mass Production of Drones
Minister Kamyshyn stopped short of revealing the designations of the unmanned aerial vehicles, analogous to the Iranian Shahed drones deployed by Russia.
"Starting from what we label the Ukrainian Shahed, we maintain confidentiality regarding the product name. However, we have kicked off its mass production and presently manufacture dozens of units per month. Concurrently, we are producing other weapons. Our output was minimal earlier, but we have reached a reasonable quantity," said Oleksandr Kamyshyn, the Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
The significant scale of production is attributed to the collaboration with Ukroboronprom, where state backing supports private manufacturers.
"Numerous drone-centric companies saw in state-owned factories an opportunity to tap into resources they could hardly access independently." - added Kamyshyn.
The Economic Truth portal recently disclosed that the Ukrainian army is now commissioning Ukrainian kamikaze drones. These new drones have a maximum operational range of approximately 621 miles.
Considering the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it's important to highlight that Russia has been deploying unmanned drones from Iran on the Ukrainian front since September 2022. Predominantly Shahed type, these kamikaze drones can travel up to roughly 621 miles and can transport up to 110 pounds of explosives. These are typically used to target civilian areas and crucial infrastructure across nearly all of the country.