Ukraine says it will purchase 4.5M first-person view drones in 2025

ISTANBUL

Ukraine said on Monday that it will purchase 4.5 million first-person view (FPV) drones this year, which would raise Kyiv’s drone acquisitions threefold compared to the previous year amid its ongoing war with Moscow.

Ukraine’s military purchased over 1.5 million drones in 2024, with 96% acquired by paying Ukrainian manufacturers and suppliers, the Defense Ministry’s procurement policy department chief said in a statement.

The involvement of Ukrainian manufacturers and suppliers in these acquisitions had a positive effect on the development of the country’s drone production industry, Hlib Kanievsky noted, saying the figures will be even higher this year.

“This year, the figures will be even higher, because the capabilities of the domestic defense industry in 2025 are approximately 4.5 million FPV drones. And the Ministry of Defense plans to purchase them all,” Kanievsky was quoted as saying.

He further said the Defense Ministry will allocate more than 110 billion Ukrainian hryvnias ($2.6 billion) to purchase drones, with 102 billion ($2.4 billion) to be allocated through the Defense Procurement Agency.

All procurement plans for 2025 have received budget funds, he said, adding that this will allow Ukraine’s front line to be “saturate with unmanned aerial vehicles as soon as possible.”

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Kyiv has paid significant attention to the development of its defense sector, notably expanding the country's domestic drone industry and capabilities as a result.