Ukraine's defense chief said he wants to amass a "drone army" for the "future of warfare on the planet." Kyiv plans to boost its arms industry to produce more sophisticated weapons, with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov saying government acquisitions of several companies will help Kyiv create a "drone army" and other NATO-caliber weapons. The defense chief noted that growing military ties between Kyiv and the West make Ukraine a de facto NATO partner. In an interview on Thursday, Reznikov told reporters that Kyiv is seeking to replicate Tel Aviv's defense industry. "We are trying to be like Israel - more independent in the coming years," he said. The defense chief argued that Israel's advanced defense industry helps it maintain its sovereignty, adding “I think the best response [can be seen] in Israel … developing its national industry for its armed forces. This made them independent. Ukraine has received tens of billions in security aid from the US and its global partners. “We realized that [by] using Soviet weapons systems … we are not independent. And it is better to have new systems with new NATO-standard ammunition," Reznikov continued. On Friday, Reuters reported further details of Kyiv's plans for its arms industry. Reznikov said Ukraine is already in the process of creating an "army of drones" and is looking at producing NATO-caliber artillery. The official also said that Ukraine needs to develop drone jamming capabilities, as well as unmanned aerial, land and sea vehicles. Kyiv's plans to revamp its defense sector may face several challenges given the complications of wartime. In recent months, the Kremlin has proven its ability to bypass Ukraine's air defenses and inflicted severe damage on the country's power grid. In addition, Kyiv has already adopted a budget for 2023 with a deficit of $38 billion. It is not clear how the Kremlin will react if Ukraine produces NATO-standard weapons. While Moscow has repeatedly raised concerns that Kyiv could one day accept NATO weapons before it invaded Ukraine last winter, Reznikov insisted his country's ties with the North Atlantic bloc would continue regardless. "It doesn't matter when we become de jure NATO members. We have become a de facto partner of NATO at the moment," said Reznikov. "That's why we need to develop our military industry together.
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