Ukraine has sharply increased weapons production, but without Western support it will not be able to compete with Russia: WSJ

Despite the unprecedented growth of its own defense production, Ukraine is still critically dependent on foreign aid in its confrontation with Russia. About this informs The Wall Street Journal, dedicated to the transformation of the Ukrainian defense industry during three years of full-scale war.

As the publication notes, the value of weapons that the Ukrainian industry is capable of producing has increased from one billion dollars in 2022 to 35 billion in 2025. At the same time, even under rocket fire, factories continue to work. Ukraine currently produces more artillery systems than all NATO countries combined. Back in 2022, the country had only one experimental sample of the domestic “Bohdan” howitzer, and today it is already mass-producing this and other systems.

The WSJ emphasizes that in the current environment, when support from the US and other allies is periodically threatened, the development of one’s own defense industry becomes not just a strategic goal, but a means of self-preservation and ensuring sovereignty. Own production allows Ukraine to be less vulnerable to political changes in the world or disruptions in global supply chains. In addition, Kyiv views its defense-industrial complex as an important component of the economy in the post-war period and a means of integration into Western markets as a supplier of modern weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently stated that more than 40% of the weapons used on the front lines today are manufactured in Ukraine, and the share of domestic production is close to 100% for drones, robotic platforms, and electronic warfare equipment. Domestic companies also produce artillery, armored vehicles, mines and ammunition of various calibers.

Rob Lee, a senior researcher at the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, noted that in Ukraine, the lion’s share of talented IT specialists and graduates of technical universities go specifically to the defense sector, while in Western countries, these personnel are concentrated in the private sector.

However, even such a rapid increase in production does not make it possible to stand alone against the scale of the Russian military machine. Ukraine is unable to provide the necessary amount of artillery ammunition or air defense means on its own, which is why assistance from the US and other partners remains vital.

The publication also notes that the state budget of Ukraine is under serious strain. As the president’s adviser and former minister of strategic industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn admitted, the state can finance less than half of what defense enterprises are ready to produce.

In order to use the potential of Ukrainian manufacturers, several Western countries have introduced the “Danish model” – when funds for armaments are provided directly to Ukrainian enterprises, and not spent on the supply of foreign equipment. This makes it possible to speed up production and support the national economy.

WSJ journalists add that the war in Ukraine has become a kind of training ground for testing the latest weapons, and many allies have already begun to study how their systems performed in real combat conditions. Ukrainian experience becomes not only a means of defense, but also a valuable source of tactical and engineering lessons for NATO.