Ukraine is developing six new types of missiles, - The Economist.

Ukraine revives its missile industry

Ukraine is developing several types of missiles as the future of military aid from Western partners remains uncertain. This is reported by The Economist.

According to this publication, Ukraine is ready for flight tests of about six new missiles and missile-drone hybrids. Another twelve smaller projects are in the development stage.

Among the key state projects is the long-range cruise missile 'Neptune', capable of sinking the Russian flagship. Another important project is the tactical ballistic missile 'Grim-2' (also known as 'Sapsan'). However, both of these projects are complex and slow to execute, experts note.

New private developments are more promising. For example, volunteer engineers have developed the cruise missile Trembita. It has a speed of 400 km/h and can fly a distance of 200 km. The team is already working on a more powerful modification that will be able to cover greater distances. The cost of various versions of the missile ranges from 3000 to 15000 dollars.

President Zelensky announced the transition to the production of missiles that are harder to intercept than drones. The goal is to produce 3000 missiles by the end of 2025.

However, Russian attacks are hindering production. The 'Neptune' missile system was attacked in Kyiv in December 2023. The 'Yuzhmash' plant also suffered from a Russian interregional ballistic missile 'Oreshnik'. The strike on the plant in 2023 resulted in numerous casualties.

Due to the threat of missile strikes, a significant part of the production has been moved to protected bunkers, and components are being produced at hundreds of secure locations. According to The Economist, the production of cruise missiles in Ukraine can be much cheaper than in Western Europe.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister, is working to reduce barriers to entry into the industry and forecasted that 2025 will be 'the year of the Ukrainian cruise missile'. Ukraine is open to cooperation with Western partners, among which Denmark and Great Britain have already intensified cooperation.