Deputy Director of a company producing electronic warfare equipment and aviation expert Anatoliy Khrapchinsky stated on Kyiv24 that Ukraine has the capabilities to create drones with components of its own production. According to him, this means at least the ability to produce modules and engines for FPV drones - an important step towards technological independence.
" When starting to create any weapon, we must understand that the components inside are the direction we should move, that is, we create the development of technologies ourselves and do not depend on anyone ," Khrapchinsky emphasized. At the same time, he noted that the main problem is the price: the cost of production in Ukraine is higher than in China, where engines are mass-produced for many markets.
The expert also commented on the technical capabilities of the Russian “Shaheeds” and specified the distance at which they remain controllable: “ I want to emphasize once again that the “Shaheeds” can only be controlled at a distance of up to 150 km .” According to him, the enemy is increasing the deployment of stationary launch pads, but the control range is limited.
The article also mentions international assistance: the UK is working on the Octopus project, an interceptor drone to combat Russian "shaheeds." British Minister for Defence Capability and Industry Luke Pollard said that it is planned to produce about 2,000 such drones per month for delivery to Ukraine to intercept enemy UAVs.
Khrapchinsky's statements emphasize that we have the technical base for local production, but economic challenges (primarily cost) and mass production in China determine the components market. At the same time, international initiatives should strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities in the short term.
