Ukraine’s artillery and drones now match Russia’s military tech

This was stated by Major General Christian Freuding, Director of the Joint Planning and Command Staff and Head of the Special Ukraine Desk at the German Ministry of Defense, during the 17th Annual Kyiv Security Forum on May 8-9.

According to Freuding, recent achievements have been made possible by the potential of Ukrainian production and the growing innovation in the defense industry. 

"We have already leveled up with Russia in military strength in terms of artillery and drones. This is the result of a powerful transformation of Ukraine's defense industry," he said.

However, he emphasized that for successful conduct of a prolonged war, more investment is needed in industrial development. "Have we done enough to strengthen our production capacities? This remains an open question. There is still room for improvement," he added.

"We need to combine Ukraine's innovative potential with that of European countries. Only in this way can we not only match but also surpass Russia's advantage in this field," he concluded.

• NATO Military Committee Chairman from 2021-2025 Admiral Rob Bauer noted that Russia has lost over 700,000 soldiers and still has not achieved any of its strategic goals in Ukraine.