Ukraine pursues domestic missiles and guided bombs to offset Western supply gaps

Ukraine is expanding its domestic defense manufacturing to mitigate acute shortages of Western air defense interceptors and reduce reliance on foreign military aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that two domestic companies are developing indigenous ballistic missiles, though mass production faces technological hurdles. Zelensky also noted that plans to produce U.S.-licensed Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine could take up to several years due to regulatory and licensing bottlenecks.

Meanwhile, testing has concluded for Ukraine's "Equalizer" glide bomb kit, developed by DG Industry with Brave1 support. The system converts standard aerial bombs into precision-guided munitions usable on Soviet-era and Western-supplied aircraft. The push for domestic production follows repeated Russian ballistic missile attacks targeting Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.

Sources: NEXTA, NV, Point, The Insider, Українська правда