Zelensky: Russia Cuts Missile Production to Boost Drone Output

Russia is reducing missile production and redirecting funding to increase drone output, which it uses to attack Ukraine daily.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this in an interview with the New York Post.

According to him, Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory currently involve 350–500 drones per day.

At the same time, Russian invaders aim to reach 600–800 drones by 2026, but their ultimate goal is to deploy 1,000 UAVs daily.

“This number must be countered by interceptor drones, and we need at least 2,000–3,000 interceptors to do so,” Zelensky noted.

Through the mass use of drones, the Russians are attempting to wear down Ukraine’s air defense. Additionally, Shahed/Geran-2-type drones are cheaper than missiles.

The President of Ukraine did not specify which types of missiles Russia is cutting back on—ballistic or cruise missiles.

Given the number of missiles used in combined strikes recently, it can be assumed that he is referring specifically to cruise missiles.

At the same time, the number of launches of Iskander-M ballistic missiles has increased, reaching a record high of 116 launches in February.

To launch ballistic and cruise missiles from the Iskander system, the Russians have set up at least nine launch sites around Ukraine.

The launch geography covers the Kursk, Bryansk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the temporarily occupied Crimea.

In addition, at the end of last year, the Russians also began using their new air-launched cruise missile, the Izdelie-30, to strike Ukraine. It has a wingspan of about 3 meters, a warhead weighing 800 kg, and a range of at least 1,500 km.