Ukraine says timely funding could allow manufacturers to double drone production in 2027, as its military reports a monthly record for Russian personnel losses since the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine’s General Staff put Russian personnel losses at 49,040 as of Oct. 29, averaging about 1,750 per day. It cited 48,670 in December 2024 as the previous monthly high and said the current loss rate exceeds Russia’s ability to replenish its units.
The General Staff did not divide the October figure between killed and wounded. Al Jazeera reported that it could not independently verify casualty estimates from either side.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said domestic manufacturers could double production next year if funding arrives in time. It gave no current production baseline or unit total for the possible increase. At an Oct. 26 meeting with defense representatives from Germany, Britain, France, Poland and Italy, Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara called for Ukrainian drones to be produced jointly with partners abroad. The ministry said that approach could also strengthen partner countries’ defense capabilities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s drone-production capacity was several times greater than its available funding. The British government announced an additional £10 billion in economic and military support on Oct. 28. Its measures include £500 million for air defense this winter, £7 billion in economic support over three years and a £3 billion increase in UK Export Finance capacity, prioritized for military support.
Zelenskyy said the Netherlands was preparing a €500 million military-support package for the fall. The Dutch government separately detailed €1.2 billion in nonmilitary support over three years for energy, water, recovery and reconstruction, describing amounts previously pledged.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the three-month average shoot-down rate for Geran-4 drones was nearly 60%. It said the rate for jet-powered UAVs can reach 80% during individual attacks. The service also cited shortages of surface-to-air guided missiles and a need to reduce the cost of countering air threats.
The ministry said planning for 2027 support needs to begin now, but provided no funding cutoff date or total production figure for the proposed increase.
