Ukraine Targets Production of 20 Million Drones in 2026, Sybiha Says

Ukraine could manufacture up to 20 million drones in 2026 if international partners provide sufficient financial backing.

The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement made by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. 

He underscored that mass production of inexpensive unmanned systems is becoming the defining factor of modern warfare.

According to Sybiha, the global balance of power is increasingly shaped not by nuclear deterrence, but by the speed at which nations can scale up drone manufacturing. 

“We need to achieve parity and advantage to make Putin stop the war. This requires quick and sufficient funding for Ukraine’s defense industry,” he wrote.

The minister highlighted that Ukraine’s defense industry has evolved into one of the world’s leading hubs for innovation in unmanned technologies, despite the ongoing war

Sybiha stressed that Ukraine is in a “race against time,” competing with Russia not only in resources, but also in technological development. Ensuring sustained, rapid investment in industrial capacity, he said, is essential both for achieving battlefield parity and for securing long-term superiority.

He also argued that ending the war is only possible once Vladimir Putin “loses any illusion of victory” and the cost of continuing hostilities becomes untenable for the Kremlin.

Earlier in 2025, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced plans to produce 2.5 to 3 million combat drones annually, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set a separate target of 30,000 long-range drones.

As The Gaze previously reported, Ukraine has begun full-scale production of its new Octopus drone interceptor, a domestically developed system designed.

The country is also set to export surplus domestically produced weapons under a government-controlled program, with export hubs planned in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.