Ukraine is very close to its own ballistic missiles. This was stated by Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmygal in an interview with BBC-Ukraine.
"The President of Ukraine has already announced that Ukraine will have its own ballistics. We are very close to this. This is all I can say publicly on this issue," the official noted.
During war, there can be no export of weapons manufactured by Ukrainian private manufacturers, Shmygal also said.
"The export of weapons is a political decision, always and in every country. During war, if our defender on the front line does not have enough of this or that weapon, it is impossible to export it until we replenish our armed forces to 100 plus percent. If there is a surplus of production, we must find funds to finance the weapons and give them to our armed forces," the minister believes.
The publication points out that some arms manufacturers in Ukraine support the decision to export weapons, citing the fact that the state does not purchase the amount of weapons they produce. At the same time, they need funds to produce more weapons and improve them.
Shmighal assured that the Ukrainian government is looking for additional funds to "order everything that can be produced in the state".
"But in military conditions, direct exports are impossible to imagine... There may be partnership projects when part of the weapons remain in the warehouses of partners. It is possible to form strong chains of arms exchange with partners. But not direct exports," the Defense Minister expressed his opinion.
Shmygal said that Ukraine needs at least $120 billion for defense by 2026. He added that work is being done with other countries to attract half of this amount with the support of allies. In particular, Shmyhal added, significant negotiations are already underway with EU and NATO members.