Latest news with #DenysShmyhal
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine's Zelenskiy sets target for interceptor drone production
July 25 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday toured a factory producing interceptor drones, increasingly seen as a solution to protecting Ukrainian cities from Russian air attacks, and said a goal had been set to make up to 1,000 of the weapons each day. Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said newly-appointed Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal had reported on foreign assistance that would enable Ukraine to "ensure a reliable flow of weapons for Ukrainian soldiers." "I called for preparations for a Technology Staff meeting, specifically focused on drones," he said. "A plan has been approved to reach production of 500-1,000 interceptor drones per day. The deadline has been set and achieving this is the personal responsibility of every official involved." Zelenskiy noted earlier this month that interceptor drones had proved efficient at downing waves of Russian attack drones directed at Ukrainian cities. The president has long focused on manufacturing and developing drones, an industry that was virtually non-existent when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022. He has turned his attention in recent weeks to interceptor drones as an effective way to parry Russian attacks and last month pointed to increased production figures. Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat said last month that developing interceptor drones would help Ukraine use its resources more rationally in fending off Russian attacks, rather than relying on missiles and aircraft.
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ukraine is pumping millions of dollars into drones built to kill the Russian ones attacking its cities
Russia is regularly hammering Ukrainian cities with one-way attack drones. Kyiv, however, intends to meet that threat by pouring millions of dollars into interceptor drones designed to engage Russian threats. In a statement posted to Telegram on Wednesday, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced four contracts for drone intercept technology worth over $72 million. "Special attention was given to drone interceptors capable of countering Russian Shaheds," Shmyhal said in the statement, which noted that Ukraine is also pursuing international partnerships for additional purchases. Earlier in the month, the director of Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency, Arsen Zhumadilov, told local media that the agency had contracts for tens of thousands of interceptor drones, weapons which are now being mass-produced. Zhumadilov did not provide a value for those contracts. Interceptor drones have become an inexpensive option for defeating front-line loitering munitions and higher-end uncrewed reconnaissance assets, but the drones are increasingly being seen as an option for countering Shaheds, a term for a family of Iranian-designed attack drones that Russia also makes domestically. Russia frequently deploys homemade versions of the Iranian-designed Shahed, called the Geran-2, to bolster its strike packages, mixing them in with decoy activity and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. Such employment creates a more complicated threat for Ukrainian air defense systems, already stretched thin. Ukraine has reported that Russia is arming its drones with bigger payloads and thermobaric warheads, increasingly operating them in ways that make them difficult to shoot down with inexpensive solutions, like mounted machine guns. Ukraine has more sophisticated air defenses, but limited availability and prohibitive costs are pushing the country to find more innovative solutions. Ukraine is believed to have about half a dozen operational Patriot batteries among its other air defenses. A Patriot battery consists of as many as eight launchers, which can hold up to 16 missiles. These weapons are useful for countering aircraft and ballistic missile threats. US lawmakers approved a decision to send more Patriot air defense systems to Germany last week after agreeing that Germany would frontload Patriot systems to boost Ukrainian defenses. Each Patriot interceptor missile costs over $3 million. Missile production is limited, and overuse strains already limited stockpiles. That makes them less than ideal for combating drones. Defensive interceptor drones function similarly to interceptor missiles, though drones are drastically cheaper and more easily produced. Without other options, the continuous barrage of Shahed-style drones flooding Ukrainian airspace, coupled with missile strikes, is bound to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. Recent assessments by Western military experts suggest Russia is poised to overwhelm Ukrainian cities with thousands of drones in a single night. In an effort to tout domestic drone production, Russian state media recently broadcast modified American-designed pickup trucks featuring a launch configuration for Shahed-style drones, which are capable of loitering in the air before diving onto a target. Russia began using the Iranian-manufactured drones three years ago, but it quickly turned to its own domestic industries for producing the drones.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine needs at least $120 billion for defence next year, minister says
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine will need at least $120 billion for defence spending next year, Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday. Negotiations are ongoing with NATO and EU members as Ukraine seeks $60 billion in funding from partners, he added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Ukraine needs at least $120 billion for defence next year, minister says
KYIV, July 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine will need at least $120 billion for defence spending next year, Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday. Negotiations are ongoing with NATO and EU members as Ukraine seeks $60 billion in funding from partners, he added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Al Jazeera
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine appoints new prime minister in major government reshuffle
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a new prime minister and other key leaders in the largest government reshuffle since Russia invaded three years ago. Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, took over as prime minister from Denys Shmyhal, who had held the post since 2020, following her confirmation on Thursday by Ukraine's parliament. Svyrydenko previously served as first deputy prime minister and minister of economic development and trade, roles that brought her in close contact with the administration of United States President Donald Trump. She was credited with negotiating a critical mineral deal between Washington and Kyiv earlier this year that helped thaw an initially frosty relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy. Svyrydenko said on social media that she intends to focus on expanding Ukraine's domestic weapons production and the strength of its armed forces, and supporting the economy. 'Our Government sets its course toward a Ukraine that stands firm on its own foundations — military, economic, and social,' she said. 'My key goal is real, positive results that every Ukrainian will feel in daily life. War leaves no room for delay. We must act swiftly and decisively,' she said. It is a great honor for me to lead the Government of Ukraine today. Our Government sets its course toward a Ukraine that stands firm on its own foundations — military, economic, and social. My key goal is real, positive results that every Ukrainian will feel in daily life. War… — Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) July 17, 2025 Outgoing Prime Minister Shmyhal, 49, will step in as defence minister, taking over a ministry that has struggled with a series of corruption scandals. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, 50, will stay in place, but Zelenskyy has named outgoing Justice Minister Olga Stefanishyna, 39, as his next ambassador to the US, pending US approval. Stefanishyna has experience working with the European Union and NATO and also played a role in negotiating the recent mineral deal with the Trump administration. Stefanishyna will replace outgoing envoy Oksana Markarova, who earned the ire of Trump due to her positive working relationship with the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Reports last week indicated that Zelenskyy was planning to choose Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as his next US envoy, but he was allegedly not approved by Washington, according to opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak. Other reshuffles will see deputies Oleksiy Sobolev and Taras Kachka take over as the minister of economy, environment and agriculture and deputy prime minister for European integration. Despite the shake-up in positions, critics say the new faces in Zelenskyy's cabinet remain largely the same. They have also accused the Ukrainian leader of consolidating power by stacking key government posts with his 'loyalists'.
