Ukraine is preparing to more than double its FPV drone procurement in 2025, with plans to acquire an estimated 4.5 million first-person view drones, according to the Defense Ministry’s announcement on March 10.
“In 2023, the Ministry of Defense was purchasing drones in the thousands. By the end of 2024, we had procured over 1.5 million drones,” said Hlib Kanevskyi, Director of the Defense Ministry’s Procurement Policy Department.
“This year, the numbers will be even higher,” he added, noting that Ukraine’s defense industry now has the capacity to produce the full 4.5 million units.
Significantly, 96% of drone procurement funds in 2024 went to Ukrainian manufacturers.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense plans to spend more than 110 billion UAH (approximately $2.6 billion) on drones this year, with over 102 billion UAH channeled directly through the newly streamlined Defense Procurement Agency.
The focus will be on first-person view drones—compact, fast, and low-cost aircraft that can be piloted remotely. These drones are now frequently used for surveillance, targeting, and direct strikes.
The impact of Ukraine’s growing drone fleet is already being felt on the battlefield.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed in a statement that Ukrainian drone strikes destroyed 22% more targets in February compared to January.
