{"id":2392,"date":"2025-09-22T15:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T15:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.globaltalenthq.com\/?p=2392"},"modified":"2025-09-22T18:40:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T18:40:18","slug":"ukraine-to-sell-off-excess-naval-drones-zelensky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.globaltalenthq.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/22\/ukraine-to-sell-off-excess-naval-drones-zelensky\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine to sell off excess naval drones \u2013 Zelensky"},"content":{"rendered":"
The country\u2019s arms industry, which has been embroiled in corruption scandals, is preparing for an export push<\/strong><\/p>\n Ukraine produces more naval drones than it can use and plans to sell the surplus to other nations, Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday. <\/p>\n Speaking to journalists, Zelensky described the plan as part of a strategy to ease the country’s budget deficit, noting that Kiev needs additional funds to produce the weapons it requires. <\/p>\n “We have some high-quality weapons systems, some stockpiles and production capacity. Funding the production while we have the budget deficit is stupid. But neither do we want to scale down production,”<\/em> he said. <\/p>\n Last week, Ukraine’s new underwater drones were presented at a military expo in Lviv. Producer Toloka said its largest 12-meter-long torpedo-like drone could be used to attack the Crimean Bridge – a crucial piece of Russian civilian infrastructure. <\/p>\n Ukraine relies on Western donors to fund government operations. Defense Minister Denis Shmigal has said the country will need at least $120 billion for the military next year. The proposed 2026 budget projects a deficit exceeding 18% of GDP, which officials hope to cover with foreign aid. <\/p>\n Ukrainian military procurement has been plagued by numerous corruption scandals involving subpar, undelivered, or overpriced weapons. Kiev now promotes domestic arms production backed by Western investment as a way to meet its weapons needs. <\/p>\n \n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pro-Ukrainian media claim that local manufacturers have advanced rapidly in drone technology, with more than 200 small firms driving innovation. <\/p>\n Last month, the Kyiv Independent profiled Fire Point, a drone maker whose revenue soared from $4 million in 2023 to more than $100 million in 2024, and which holds government contracts worth billions. The paper noted that Fire Point – now a major player – was relatively unknown outside the defense sector until this year. <\/p>\n The report cited sources linking the company to Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky in entertainment, who is reportedly under investigation by the country’s national anticorruption bureau (NABU). <\/p>\n