On April 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine hosted the opening of the renewed exhibition of Ukrainian weapons, drones, and military equipment on the occasion of the Day of the Defence Industry Worker of Ukraine. The event was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Davyd Aloian, Adviser to the President of Ukraine on Strategic Affairs Oleksandr Kamishin, Director General of Joint Stock Company Ukrainian Defence Industry Herman Smetanin, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths Ihor Fedirko, representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as domestic and foreign manufacturers.
Opening the event, Andrii Sybiha stressed that the renewed exhibition at the Ministry serves as a demonstration of the growing capabilities of Ukraine’s defence-industrial complex and its contribution to global security. According to the Minister, each item presented at the exhibition constitutes evidence that Ukraine is already developing advanced technological solutions that not only contribute to the defence of Ukraine, but also prove their effectiveness globally, including in the Gulf region.
Adviser to the President of Ukraine on Strategic Affairs Oleksandr Kamishin emphasised that Ukraine’s defence-industrial complex has long evolved beyond the story of individual products or enterprises. According to him, it now represents a large-scale production system combining the state and private sectors, technologies, engineering, rapid scaling, and cooperation with partners. He stressed that it is therefore important for the international audience to see not only individual products, but the full scale of Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Ivan Havryliuk noted that for the Ministry of Defence, the development of domestic production remains a practical priority, as it concerns solutions that can rapidly adapt to battlefield needs, be promptly improved, and deliver results in combat operations. He stressed that the state’s task is to ensure conditions for the further expansion of these capabilities in the interests of Ukraine’s Defence Forces.
In his remarks, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Davyd Aloian stated that for the fifth consecutive year Ukraine’s defence-industrial complex has been forming the foundation of the country’s defence capability under daily shelling and constant pressure. He emphasised that people are building not merely weapons, but the very resource that enables Ukraine not only to endure, but also to provide an asymmetric response to adversaries who never expected such resistance from the Ukrainian nation.
A separate part of the event featured a tour of the renewed exhibition moderated by Executive Director of the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths Ihor Fedirko. Participants included state-owned enterprises of Joint Stock Company Ukrainian Defence Industry and private manufacturers presenting their products.
Among the showcased systems were weapons and technologies that have already become recognised symbols of Ukraine’s modern defence sector, including the Neptune cruise missile, which struck the cruiser Moskva on April 13, 2022; the Areyon missile-drone; the Magura V7 naval drone; the Stuhna-M anti-tank missile system; the Korsar light anti-tank missile system; the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile; the Bulava loitering munition UAV; Sting, P1-SUN, and OCTOPUS interceptor drones; as well as the Ratel M, Liut, and TerMIT ground robotic systems.
The exhibition also featured Buntar, Hor, Sichen, SOVA-15o, Horobets, Linza 3.0, and Vampire unmanned aerial systems, as well as the Mirage electronic warfare station.
According to Ihor Fedirko, every product presented at the exhibition reflects the work of engineering teams, production cycles, technological solutions, and continuous efforts focused on delivering results, much of which often remains outside the public spotlight. He stressed that Ukraine’s defence industry has demonstrated the ability to rapidly develop, improve, and scale solutions for modern warfare and has built an integrated production ecosystem whose effectiveness has been proven on the battlefield.
April 13 is a particularly significant date for Ukrainian arms manufacturers. Today, this date serves as an occasion to speak not only about individual achievements, but about the entire Ukrainian defence industry as a system supported by people, engineering teams, production facilities, rapid adaptation, and the scale of the sector itself. According to available estimates, Ukraine already produces more than half of the weapons used on the battlefield, while more than 400,000 people are employed in the defence industry.