Ukraine has decided to widen its long-range drone campaign against Russia, and a new contract is already being drawn up. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said so on June 26, in a closed-door meeting with Kyiv Post and other journalists.
“About two weeks ago, a decision was made to scale up these operations,” Umerov said. “We are already preparing a new large contract to increase the intensity of strikes.” RBC-Ukraine carried the same remarks and spelled out the scale: tens of thousands of drones built for range.
What was already in place
The new order builds on an earlier one. According to Umerov, a systematic plan for deep operations was drawn up the year before, and the contracts under it covered tens of thousands of strike machines. Deliveries are on schedule, he said, and missions fly daily under an approved plan. The drones regularly hit critical targets well behind Russian lines.
He gave production figures as well. Ukrainian manufacturers, Umerov said, have reached a level that allows more than 4 million drones a year. “And this year, more than 4 million drones will be delivered to the front. As of today, the front has already received up to 1.5 million drones,” he told reporters.
None of this was a sudden turn. Speaking at the second international defense industry forum, on Oct. 1 of the previous autumn, Umerov had said the country planned to expand output of drones, long-range weapons and ballistic missiles in 2025. He put the investment in the domestic industry at $4 billion to that point. “Next year we plan to increase funding,” he said. “Our priority is to develop domestic drones and long-range weapons, including ballistic missiles.” The ministry also wanted foreign partners in joint ventures and long-term contracts for production, supply and maintenance. The Kyiv Independent pointed out why the focus fell on home-built weapons: Western partners still refused to authorize deep strikes into Russia with foreign-made missiles.
Russia’s side of the exchange
Umerov also described what Ukraine is facing. Russia, he said, had lately leaned on combined raids, sending up to 500 Shahed drones at once alongside ballistic and cruise missiles. The aim is to wear down Ukrainian air defenses, probe how they are layered and add psychological pressure.
The answers are changing too. Tools that worked early in the full-scale war are losing their edge, he said. Mobile fire groups did the job for a while, but they are working less well now. Kyiv is bringing in interceptor drones and other measures it will not disclose, and Umerov said dozens of technological solutions against kamikaze drones have already been found and are in combat use.
Sources
- 'We Are Scaling Up': Ukraine to Launch Wave of Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russia, Umerov Says (Kyiv Post)
- Tens of thousands of long-range drones to strike Russia, says Ukraine's defense minister (RBC-Ukraine)
- Ukraine aims to increase ballistic missiles, long-range arms production in 2025, Umerov says (Kyiv Independent)
