The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has announced plans to purchase 4.5 million first-person view (FPV) drones in 2025, tripling the amount purchased the previous year. These drones, costing less than $1,000 each, have proven to be one of the least expensive and effective weapons in the ongoing conflict with Russia, with a NATO official noting that they have destroyed two-thirds of Russian tanks worth millions in April. Ukraine, which became the world’s largest arms importer from 2020 to 2024, is developing its domestic defense industry to reduce dependency on Western allies. This will involve producing long-range drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and investing more than $2.6 billion in these purchases. The country also prioritizes equipping its forces with drones by allocating necessary budget funds and aims to stay technologically competitive with Russia in this area of warfare.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/10/ukraine-announces-plan-to-boost-fpv-drone-arsenal?traffic_source=rss