Ukraine Plans to Double Drone Production and Join the Development of a European Anti-Ballistic Shield
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a speech on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood and the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus–Ukraine. In his address, he spoke about the development of Ukraine’s defense industry, the production of drones and long-range weapons, new air defense projects and cooperation with Western partners. According to the president, Ukraine is already producing 10 million drones per year. At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a target of producing 1 million drones seemed extremely ambitious, but Ukrainian manufacturers have since significantly exceeded that figure.
Zelenskyy said the next goal is to produce 20 million drones annually. Ukraine plans to achieve this together with its international partners. The president also announced that Ukraine is approaching the capability to manufacture missiles for the American Patriot air defense system. According to him, if the agreements are implemented, Ukraine will become only the third country in history to acquire such a capability. Zelenskyy thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for the political decision to provide Ukraine with the necessary production licenses. nOn July 8, Trump stated that the United States would grant Ukraine the right to manufacture Patriot missiles and provide the required technology.
“A little bird told me that we’re going to give them the right to make Patriot. We’ll show them how to do it. It’s very technically complicated, but I think you’ll handle it quickly. We’ve talked about it. That way, he [Zelenskyy] won’t be able to complain that we’re not giving him enough Patriot missiles. Make them yourselves,” the U.S. president said.
At the same time, the possible production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine will require significant preparation. Bloomberg reported that launching such production could take years and would require building an entirely new supplier network for components.
On July 15, the Kyiv Independent, citing an unnamed senior Ukrainian official, reported that the United States had already begun the process of issuing Ukraine licenses to manufacture Patriot missiles. This means the initiative has moved beyond political statements into a practical licensing process, although no timeline for establishing production facilities has been announced. Zelenskyy also devoted part of his speech to the creation of a joint European anti-ballistic defense project. According to him, Ukraine and its partners have begun work on the FREYJA project. The initiative aims to unite defense companies, technologies and anti-ballistic capabilities across European countries. Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine intends to be not only a participant but also one of the project’s leading contributors. The FREYJA Anti-Ballistic Coalition was agreed upon by the leaders of nine European countries and the United Kingdom on July 14. The participating states plan to combine existing technologies and components into a unified system.
Ukraine is ready to contribute its own anti-ballistic missile to the joint project, with work on the system currently nearing completion. European partners are expected to provide radar systems and other critical components. The initiative represents the beginning of a joint development effort rather than an already operational European anti-ballistic shield. Its further progress will depend on the completion of Ukrainian developments, technological coordination among participating countries and the organization of joint production. The president also stated that Ukraine continues to develop its own ballistic missiles and long-range strike systems. According to him, Ukrainian weapons are already capable of striking targets at distances of up to 2,884 kilometers. As an example, Zelenskyy referred to the strike on the Omsk oil refinery in Russia. At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine’s goal is to eliminate the Russian threat and achieve peace rather than destroy Russia.
“There are no longer any coordinates on the territory of evil that are beyond the reach of Ukrainian justice. Five hundred of our drones every day, dozens of their oil refineries, shadow fleet tankers and Russia’s military infrastructure have all felt this. No one should encroach upon Ukrainian statehood,” the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s long-range capabilities have already been used against dozens of Russian oil refineries, military infrastructure facilities and shadow fleet tankers. He also stated that Ukraine is capable of deploying up to 500 drones per day. Another area of defense development involves interceptor drones. The president said Ukrainian interceptor systems are already destroying at least 90% of Russian Shahed attack drones. According to him, the widespread deployment of interceptor drones is expected to strengthen the protection of Ukrainian cities and reduce the number of successful air strikes.
On July 6, 2026, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister’s adviser Serhii Beskrestnov stated that Ukrainian forces were intercepting between 92% and 96% of gasoline-powered Shahed drones. According to his assessment, Russia has responded by increasingly using jet-powered attack drones. These drones travel at much higher speeds, creating new challenges for detection and interception systems. Beskrestnov said the number of jet-powered Shahed drones used in Russian attacks continues to grow. Zelenskyy also spoke about the use of ground robotic systems. According to him, Ukrainian robotic platforms have already completed tens of thousands of combat missions on the battlefield. Such systems are used to perform missions in high-risk areas. The president emphasized that robotic platforms are changing the modern battlefield while helping save the lives of military personnel. The president also mentioned the participation of Ukrainian service members in France’s Bastille Day military parade. Ukrainian troops marched along the Champs-Élysées in Paris for the first time.
For the first time, Ukrainian pilots also flew Mirage fighter jets over the French capital. Zelenskyy thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for inviting Ukrainian service members and for supporting Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s statements indicate that Ukraine is seeking to expand its defense capabilities in several directions simultaneously. These include large-scale drone production, the development of long-range strike systems, interceptor technologies, robotic platforms and a gradual transition toward joint development and production of advanced weapons together with Western partners. The production of Patriot missiles and the development of the FREYJA system remain projects that will require time, technological preparation and international coordination. At the same time, Ukraine is seeking to move from the role of a country that primarily receives finished weapons to becoming a partner in their development and production.
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