Sergiy Boyev and Anna Gvozdiar brief European partners on Ukraine’s defence industry priorities and capabilities

Deputy Ministers of Defence of Ukraine, Sergiy Boyev and Anna Gvozdiar, met with a delegation of the European Union Council’s Working Party on Defence Industry (DIWP) to discuss ways to strengthen defence-industrial cooperation.

During the meeting, the European partners were briefed on Ukraine’s Defence Forces' current needs and the Ministry of Defence’s priorities for developing the domestic defence industry.

“Thanks to the assistance provided by international partners, next year Ukraine will be able to focus on key priorities: expanding the production of drones and missiles, strengthening air defence, advancing electronic warfare capabilities, and ensuring the supply of artillery ammunition. This will significantly strengthen our defence capability,” Sergiy Boyev noted.

For her part, Anna Gvozdiar underscored the capabilities of Ukraine’s defence manufacturers. “Whereas Ukraine’s defence industry previously consisted mainly of state-owned enterprises, the full-scale invasion has triggered a genuine boom in the private sector. Today, most manufacturers of drones, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and components operate in private ownership,” the Deputy Minister of Defence explained.

Anna Gvozdiar stressed that, provided there is financial backing from international partners and a full workload across the sector, Ukrainian defence manufacturers have the capacity to produce up to $35 billion worth of armaments.