Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new initiative aimed at boosting the country's defense production and export surplus, saying that Kyiv intends to manufacture half of all weapons used on the front lines domestically by the end of the year.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy spoke at the International Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv, stating that Ukraine's defense capacity has increased tenfold since the start of the full-scale Russian war, with projected drone and missile production reaching $35 billion next year. He introduced a new export initiative called "Zbroya," which will enable Ukraine to sell surplus weapons abroad to fund future production of defense systems.

Zelenskyy emphasized the need for funding to maximize Ukraine's defense potential and mentioned ongoing collaborations with various partners to achieve this goal. Agreements are reportedly in place for developing export-import platforms in Europe, the US, and the Middle East, with plans to have them operational by the end of the year. He also noted that the government and the National Security and Defense Council are working to finalize the program's structure.