Zelenskyy announced plans to double drone production in Ukraine
Ukraine plans to manufacture about 10 million drones this year and has the potential to double that figure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this announcement on June 16 during an online address at the Reuters NEXT Europe forum following meetings on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian.
According to Zelenskyy, the ramp-up in drone production is one of the key pieces of good news for Ukraine in terms of the defense industry and military technology.
Speaking about the situation on the front lines, the president noted that Russia has lost the offensive initiative on nearly all fronts. He said that the enemy was simultaneously conducting offensive operations on twelve fronts, but now retains the initiative on only two or three of them.
“I think the situation on the front lines is truly changing. They attacked us on 12 fronts. We saw that. And they’ve lost the initiative on almost all of these fronts; they still hold it on only two or three. At the same time, Russia still has significant resources, particularly soldiers. But they’ve slowed down there,” Zelenskyy said.
The president also drew attention to the mood within Russia: more than 60% of Russians support ending the war, while some in Putin’s inner circle, on the contrary, are pushing him toward a new large-scale mobilization, regardless of the losses.
Zelenskyy emphasized the need to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions—an issue he discussed with European leaders in Evian and plans to raise with the U.S. president.
The president identified the shadow fleet as a priority: in his view, long-term sanctions are already having an effect—oil prices are falling, which is reducing Russia’s revenues. Zelenskyy called on partners not only to block but also to confiscate tankers subject to sanctions, as well as to increase pressure on Russia’s banking and military-industrial sectors.
This was reported by Deutsche Welle.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss further cooperation and security issues. The head of state emphasized the importance of ongoing substantive communication between the countries and expressed gratitude to the UAE leader for his support of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy held a meeting with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Evian, where the G7 summit is taking place.
Zelenskyy entered the meeting room for the first session of the G7 summit alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
