Production of attack drones is beginning in Ukraine. The National Security and Defense Council’s Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov announced this to journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday, 26 January, the Ukrinform news agency reports.

"We have very serious demand for combat drones in the Armed Forces, and I will not be divulging a secret by saying that we have held a meeting with Ukroboronprom and we are starting production at Antonov," he said.

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Turchynov stressed that such combat aircraft would be produced at the Antonov aircraft manufacturing plant because the plant has a significant production capacity. According to him, Ukraine still has problem obtaining prototypes of aircraft from abroad, but he expressed confidence that "we will also overcome this barrier."

Turchynov delivered a consignment of modern Spectator unmanned aircraft complexes to the Armed Forces on Tuesday. They were developed by the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and produced by the Korolev Meridian company, which is part of the Ukroboronprom state defense concern. A Spectator unmanned aircraft complex consists of a ground control station and three drones. The Ministry of Defense will test the complex in combat conditions in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.