The Ukrainian government is flooding the defence industry with money in the hope of turning the situation on the front, writes the Associated Press. But despite all the transformations, the country has no chance of defeating Russia without massive Western support, experts say.
The Ukrainian government is flooding its own defence industry with money in the hope that a surge in arms and ammunition production will help turn the tide on the front, the Associated Press writes. As the publication notes, these efforts have intensified dramatically over the past year, given the difficulties of the United States and Europe in supplying weapons and other aid to Kiev.
As the publication recalls, Ukrainian troops are regularly outnumbered and outgunned on the front lines, and this has contributed to a drop in morale.
In 2024, the Ukrainian government has budgeted nearly $1.4bn to buy and develop weapons at home – 20 times more than before the Russian special operation. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s defence industry faces constraints due to a lack of money, labour and, according to business executives and generals, government red tape.
Today, Kiev relies not on state-owned defence plants, but on small private industries. About 80% of Ukraine’s defence industry is now in private hands. But despite all the transformations, the country has no chance of defeating Russia without massive support from the West, experts say. Ukraine is not capable of producing all the ammunition it needs for this fight, experts believe.
In addition, Russia is investing much more in its defence industry, whose growth has helped protect its economy from the blow of Western sanctions. Thus, the country’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu recently boasted of a huge increase in the production of tanks, drones and ammunition, the agency recalls.
