Ukrainian defense industry has developed more than 70 UAV projects of its own production since the start of the russian full-scale invasion and continuous attacks on enterprises. This is the result achieved by both state-owned and private companies.
The statement comes from Oleh Boldyriev (a.k.a. Martin Brest), the Project Manager at the state concern "Ukroboronprom", Media Center Ukraine reports. He added that Ukrainian developers of unmanned systems are poised to present their main project to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
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This project run by Ukroboronprom develops a heavy attack UAV with a total weight of up to 200 kg, capable of carrying up to 75 kg and flying at a distance of up to 1,200 km, according to Boldyriev.
"The heavy drone will fly by the end of this year, a model will be created that we won’t be ashamed to show people… It has already flown," the project manager assured, as quoted by Ukrinform.
He noted that these requirements to the unmanned system’s performance were set by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi personally. The result will be presented "by New Year’s", and then the Ukrainian military and Ministry of Defense will decide whether the UAV will enter serial production.
It should be noted that Oleh Boldyriev has recently given an interview to the "5th Channel'' where he revealed some discouraging details about this project. Namely, it looks like the designers have not yet decided on the final concept of this UAV.
Still, the results of the Ukrainian defense industry look very good overall, with this many projects carried out when russia is persistently trying to destroy Ukraine’s defense enterprises.
Boldyriev revealed that since February 2022, state companies of the defense industrial sector have been under over 120 attacks from the russian side, at least 5 workers have died. This figure comprises only attacks on Ukroboronprom’s enterprises, but there are also private companies as well.
In addition to working on the UAV program, developed jointly with the General Staff of the AFU, the Ukrainian military industry continues to repair captured russian equipment supplying it to the Ukrainian army, integrate modern "Serdar" combat modules into Soviet armored equipment and even bears plans to build an ammunition factory together with a NATO partner of Ukraine.
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