More than half of state budget spent on defense in 2024 – Shmyhal

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated this during a government meeting, Ukrinform reports.

"Over half of this year's state budget expenditures were directed to defense. Literally every hryvnia collected domestically has contributed to this effort. Thanks to investments by both the state and the private sector, the capacity of Ukraine's defense industry has increased sixfold," Shmyhal said.

He noted that over 800 state-owned and private companies are currently active in the defense sector. More than 1,000 types of weapons and equipment have been approved for use, with half of these manufactured in Ukraine.

"In the drone sector, domestic production accounts for over 96% of output. Through the Army of Drones project, more than 1.2 million drones have been procured. Ukraine now produces more self-propelled artillery systems than any other country in the free world. Significant progress has also been made in missile technology, including the development of long-range weaponry," the prime minister said.

Shmyhal also highlighted the success of the "Danish model" of supporting Ukraine's defense industry, where international partners purchase weapons directly from Ukrainian manufacturers. This model has brought in nearly $1 billion, he said.

Earlier reports said that in November 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine codified more than 120 models of weapons and equipment.