Ukrainian foreign minister appeals for funds for drones

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has appealed to his country’s supporters for funds to scale up drone production.

He wrote on X on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would end the war only if two conditions were met.

First, Putin had to lose “the illusion that he can somehow eventually win on the battlefield.” Second, the price of continuing the war had to exceed the price of ending it.

“The modern arms race is not about nukes — it is about millions of cheap drones,” the minister wrote. “Those who can scale up production quicker will secure peace.”

He said Ukraine’s defence industry needed money to achieve this. “We can produce up to 20 million drones next year if we get sufficient funding.” Sybiha did not name a specific sum.

Ukraine has been producing tens of thousands of different drones for months. The unmanned aircraft are manufactured by both the traditional defence industry and private companies that are trying to give Ukraine a technological edge with innovative products.

Drones, which are produced for a fraction of the cost of expensive weapons systems, have already brought about new forms of warfare. Both Russia and Ukraine are deploying drones in large numbers. However, neither side discloses exact production figures.