Building the Arsenal: Securing the Components to Sustain Combat Power

Ukraine’s wartime unmanned systems boom has transformed a once-nascent drone industry into a critical pillar of national defense. Under the pressures of full-scale war, Ukraine expanded from only a handful of producers to hundreds of manufacturers turning out millions of different types of drones annually. This rapid growth – fueled by improvised solutions, volunteer efforts, and streamlined procurement – has given Ukraine’s military a drone fleet almost unmatched in scale globally. However, this success relies on complex supply chains that remain vulnerable; Chinese-made components have historically dominated Ukraine’s drones, creating a strategic dependency that Beijing’s recent export restrictions have exposed. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s push for domestic production of key parts (from frames to flight controllers and motors) is gaining momentum, but critical gaps persist – especially in microelectronics, batteries, and other high-tech inputs.

Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Havryliuk cited that Ukraine produces up to 200,000 FPVs monthly and must continuously replenish its fleet, making supply chain resilience a matter of survival. According to Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine needs to produce 400,000 unmanned systems per month in order to compete with Russia. Chinese civilian drone bans since 2022 have raised costs and slowed production, forcing Ukraine to seek workarounds at triple the price for some components. At the same time, Russia’s own drone program benefits from shadow Chinese supply, eroding Ukraine’s earlier drone advantage. Ukraine’s domestic drone industry – now reportedly capable of up to 10 million drones per year – can become a long-term strategic asset for both Ukraine and its allies, but only if its supply chains are secured. 

This report analyzes the evolution of Ukraine’s sourcing under wartime conditions, maps out component-level supply chains (domestic and foreign), and assesses external dependencies – particularly on China – along with emerging threats and strategic risks.