Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov will focus more on manufacturing drones. This was reported by Reuters news agency based on documents from Ukroboronprom, the regulator of the Ukrainian defense sector. An anonymous source told Reuters that the company hopes to meet the needs of the war in Ukraine through a new center for drones.

Domestically produced drones are of great importance to Ukraine in the current war with Russia. Using these drones, they can attack Moscow and military targets elsewhere on Russian territory. Ukraine is not allowed to use Western weapons by its allies for this purpose. Since the beginning of last year, Ukraine has significantly increased its investments in the drone sector.

Antonov has produced drones before, but in recent years it has mainly focused on making cargo aircraft. The company now believes it can use this knowledge to develop long-range drones, with which the Ukrainian military can attack targets deeper in Russia.

For Antonov himself, investments in drone production are likely to be a financial boost. After the Russian invasion in February last year, the company saw Russia disappear as a client. In addition, the aircraft manufacturer suffered significant financial damage due to Russian air strikes. For example, shortly after the raid, the famous cargo plane “Mriya” was destroyed after Russian forces seized the airport where the largest aircraft in the world was located.

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