Ukraine sees real boom in drone production – defense minister

He said this at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"There is a real boom in the production of drones in Ukraine. Thanks to our policy, Ukraine is able to provide itself with bulletproof vests, helmets, uniforms, shoes, etc.," Reznikov said.

He noted that last year, on the initiative of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the government had managed to simplify procedures for developers and manufacturers of weapons and military equipment. Now, the minister said, instead of two years, the procedure for putting products into operation, along with the signing of state contracts, takes a few weeks.

According to Reznikov, the country has recently settled the issue of profits for Ukrainian suppliers of the defense sector and now they have the same rights as foreigners. He called such an approach a priority for the Ministry of Defense and called on local authorities to support small and medium-sized businesses working in this area.

"What is needed is premises, access to communications, assistance with documents and other issues. This is work, taxes and ensuring the resilience of communities. People will stay and, most importantly, they will return," Reznikov said.

According to him, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is today the largest employer and customer in the country, and in this context, there is a direct intersection with the interests of communities and certain expectations.

The minister noted that the ministry's budget for this year had been set at UAH 1.3 trillion, but given the current needs, the Ministry of Defense will initiate its increase, especially after the adoption of the law on additional payments to military personnel. Currently, financial support for Ukrainian soldiers, Reznikov said, reaches about 60% of all ministry expenses.

He also called on the local communities to invest more actively in defense at the expense of military tax revenues. First and foremost, this concerns the strengthening of fortification positions, especially in the border areas, and support for units stationed in the communities.

Ivano-Frankivsk on Sunday hosted a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine. The participants in the meeting talked about the work of state and local authorities through the prism of spending budgets at different levels.