Prospects and features of UAV production development in Ukraine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26565/2310-9513-2025-22-09Keywords:
unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, innovation, strategy, ecosystem, defense industry, competitiveness, public policy, management, UAV marketAbstract
This article explores the current state and prospects of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production sector in Ukraine under martial law and the transformation of the defense-industrial complex. The study focuses on managerial, economic, organizational-technological, and institutional aspects of the UAV market, as well as the potential for building an innovation ecosystem in this sector. The purpose of the research is to identify trends, problems, and strategic directions for the development of the Ukrainian UAV industry, considering its critical role in national security and the economy. The methodology includes secondary data analysis, content analysis of analytical and statistical reports, Porter’s Diamond Model, and comparative assessment of Ukrainian UAV characteristics versus foreign analogues. Results: The study identifies key factors of competitiveness, such as increasing demand from the Armed Forces, availability of highly qualified specialists, development of innovative startups, and the need to localize critical components. The research systematizes the main market participants and their specialization and reveals the prerequisites for creating a sustainable innovation ecosystem involving business, science, and the state. The findings serve as a basis for forming government policy to support the industry, for strategic planning of enterprises operating in the UAV sector, and for academic research in unmanned technologies and security. The conclusion states that the Ukrainian UAV industry shows strong development potential but requires institutional strengthening, R&D investment, and active involvement in global markets.
References
A Comprehensive Review of Recent Research Trends on UAVs. (2023). arXiv:2307.13691 [cs.RO]. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11080400
Adner, R. (2017). Ecosystem as structure: An actionable construct for strategy. Journal of Management, 43(1), 39–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316678451
Horbal, N. I., & Karachkov, V. S. (2024). Analysis of the international competitiveness of Ukrainian drone manufacturers. Bulletin of the National University 'Lviv Polytechnic'. Series 'Problems of Economics and Management', 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.23939/semi2024.01.001 (in Ukrainian)
Bilousova, O., Omelchenko, E., Makarcuk, M., & Milovanov, T. (2024). Ukraine’s drones industry: Investments and product innovations. Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and Brave1 Cluster. Available at: https://kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/241004-Brave1-report-v.1.pdf
dev.ua. (2025). Top 10 Ukrainian drone manufacturers. Available at: https://dev.ua/news/top-10-ukrainskykh-vyrobnykiv-droniv (in Ukrainian)
Herrick, K. (2000). Development of the unmanned aerial vehicle market: Forecasts and trends. Air & Space Europe, 2(2), 25–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1290-0958(00)80035-0
Horobets, A. (2025). The development of unmanned systems in Ukraine. European Security & Defence. Available at: https://euro-sd.com/2025/04/articles/43553/the-development-of-unmanned-systems-in-ukraine/
Vyshnivska, B., Kvasha, S., & Vakulenko, V. (2024). Unmanned aerial vehicle market conditions and its practical use in the agricultural sector of the economy. Three Seas Economic Journal, 2(5), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.30525/2661-5150/2024-2-3
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Bayraktar TB2. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayraktar_TB2 (in Ukrainian)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). MQ-9 Reaper. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper (in Ukrainian)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Heron TP. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Eitan (in Ukrainian)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Wing Loong II. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_Wing_Loong_II (in Ukrainian)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of UAVs of Ukraine. Available at: https://goo.su/IpPKj (in Ukrainian)
Ukrspecsystems. (n.d.). Official website. Available at: https://ukrspecsystems.com (in Ukrainian)
State Statistics Service of Ukraine. (2025). Number of business entities by type of economic activity by region (2014–2023). Available at: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/menu/menu_u/sze_20.htm (in Ukrainian)
State Statistics Service of Ukraine. (2025). Number of employees at business entities by type of economic activity by region (2014–2023). Available at: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/menu/menu_u/sze_20.htm (in Ukrainian)
Krasnomovets, P. (2022). Born to fly: Since 2014, a whole UAV industry has grown in Ukraine. Forbes Ukraine. Available at: https://forbes.ua/innovations/narodzheni-litati-z-2014-roku-v-kraini-virosla-tsila-galuz-virobnitstva-bpla-chi-dopomozhe-viyna-ukrainskomu-military-tech-stati-globalnim-gravtsem-06092022-8150 (in Ukrainian)
Kupriyanova, V. S., & Matyushenko, I. Y. (2015). State and prospects of UAV development in Ukraine. Bulletin of Transport Economics and Industry, 50, 334–400. https://doi.org/10.18664/338.47:338.45.v0i50.53251 (in Ukrainian)
Novikov, K. (2021). Ukrainian UAV market and its prospects. Center for Transport Strategies. Available at: https://cfts.org.ua/blogs/ukranskiy_rinok_bpla_ta_yogo_perspektivi_577 (in Ukrainian)
State Statistics Service of Ukraine. (2025). Volume of manufactured products (goods, services) by type of economic activity by region (2014–2023). Available at: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/menu/menu_u/sze_20.htm (in Ukrainian)
Porter, M. E. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. Harvard Business Review, March–April. Available at: https://hbr.org/1990/03/the-competitive-advantage-of-nations (in Ukrainian)
Skugarev, V., Tykhonenko, V., & Borzenko, D. (2023). Analysis of the UAV market in Ukraine and prospects for its development. Scientific Papers Collection of DNDI VS OVT, 17(3), 84–89. https://doi.org/10.37701/dndivsovt.17.2023.10 (in Ukrainian)
Inflation indices in Ukraine from 2013 to 2025. (2025). Accountant of the Budget Institution. Available at: https://buhgalter.com.ua/dovidnik/norma-robochogo-chasu/tablitsya-indeksiv-inflyatsiyi/ (in Ukrainian)
Vestbee. (2025). UAV market in Ukraine: Development of defence technologies and why we need attritable drones. Available at: https://www.vestbee.com/blog/articles/uav-market-in-ukraine (in Ukrainian)
Kyiv Post. (2025). Ukraine already produces 2.5 million drones per year, and there will be more. Available at: https://www.kyivpost.com/uk/post/46913?utm (in Ukrainian)
Kremenchuk Telegraph. (2025). Ukraine increased FPV drone production tenfold and surpasses Russia. Available at: https://www.telegraf.in.ua/popular/10136874-ukrajina-perevazhaye-rf-u-vigotovlenni-fpv-droniv-ta-zbilshila-jih-virobnictvo-u-desjat-raziv-do-200-tisjach-na-misjac.html (in Ukrainian)
Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. (2025). In 2024, Ukrainian drones accounted for 96.2% of all UAVs for the Defense Forces – Rustem Umerov. Available at: https://mod.gov.ua/news/ukrayinski-droni-u-2024-roczi-sklali-96-2-vid-usih-bpla-dlya-sil-oboroni-rustem-umyerov (in Ukrainian)
Scientific supervisor – Kyzym M. O., Doctor of Economics, Professor, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Chief Researcher, Research Center for Industrial Development Problems of the NAS of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Ukraine)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors submitting publications for this edition agree to the following terms:
- The authors retain the copyright to their publications and grant the journal “The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series: International Relations. Economics. Country Studies. Tourism” for the right of first publication.
- Submission and acceptance of a publication to the journal means that the authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the material in print and electronic form and to include it in international abstracting and bibliographic databases.
- Authors may:
- deposit the published version of their work in institutional or disciplinary repositories,
- distribute it on personal or professional web pages,
- use the material for educational or research purposes,
provided that:
- the publication is not altered,
- it is not used for commercial purposes,
- a complete bibliographic reference for the publication in the journal is provided.
Authors' Responsibility
- The authors guarantee that the submitted publication is an original work and does not infringe on the copyrights or intellectual property of third parties.
- The authors confirm that this manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another publisher.
- If the publication uses materials (figures, tables, data, etc.) belonging to third parties, the authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions and for correctly citing the sources.
Publisher's Responsibility
- This publication ensures a transparent and ethical publication process, as well as open access to all materials in accordance with the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.
- The publication guarantees long-term digital preservation of content by archiving it in internal and external repositories.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication of this work under the terms of a license Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
