Ukrainian president announces strategic military planning, boost in domestic weapons production

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a renewed focus on strategic military planning and a significant boost in domestic weapons production amid continued Russian aggression.

In a high-level meeting with top military officials, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities through increased manufacturing of drones, missiles, and long-range systems, while also securing international partnerships to support the country’s growing defence industry, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

In his evening address, Zelenskyy outlined key objectives discussed during the meeting, which included Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov, and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

“The focus was on planning our actions, our readiness to respond to Russian strikes and threats, as well as acting preemptively,” Zelenskyy stated. “This means increasing the production of our drones and missiles. I’m grateful to everyone working toward this goal. Already, hundreds of Ukrainian companies are delivering results for the Defence Forces of Ukraine, and there will be more — I’m confident of that.”

The President emphasized the central role of Ukraine’s burgeoning defence industry in meeting wartime demands. He revealed that the government is actively engaging the private sector to ramp up the production of advanced weaponry and is also working on securing new international partnerships to bolster domestic manufacturing.

“In particular, Ukraine is preparing new agreements with partners in Europe to attract investment specifically into Ukrainian manufacturing,” Zelenskyy noted. “This primarily concerns the production of drones and long-range capabilities — the tools that allow Ukraine to control the situation on the front lines, save the lives of its soldiers, and operate at a significant distance.”

Zelenskyy reaffirmed that while operational details cannot be publicly disclosed for security reasons, Ukraine’s strategy is focused on parity and deterrence. “Of course, we cannot publicly disclose our existing plans or capabilities, but the vision is clear — to respond symmetrically to all Russian threats and challenges. In Russia, they must clearly feel the consequences of what they are doing against Ukraine. And they will. Strike drones, interceptors, cruise missiles, Ukrainian ballistic systems — these are the key elements,” he said.

The President also highlighted the significant expansion of Ukraine’s domestic arms production since the onset of the full-scale invasion. Prior to the war, domestically manufactured weapons accounted for less than 10 per cent of the total arsenal. Today, that figure has increased to 34 per cent, signaling a major transformation in Ukraine’s defence industrial base.

Ukrainian naval drones such as the Sea Baby and MAGURA V5 have reportedly achieved notable success in the Black Sea, inflicting substantial losses on Russia’s naval forces. The Neptune missile system, responsible for the destruction of the Moskva cruiser, has now been upgraded with a long-range variant that has already been used in combat operations.

Additional key assets currently in use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces include the Bohdana self-propelled artillery system, Stuhna and Korsar anti-tank missile systems, and various domestically developed strike drones, including Bober, Morok, and Liutyi. These systems enable Ukraine to conduct long-range precision attacks and disrupt Russian operations deep within occupied territory.

To underscore the progress, President Zelenskyy released photographs showcasing a range of domestically produced weaponry, including munitions and unmanned aerial systems.

By Vafa Guliyeva