Deputy Defense Minister Mstyslav Banik has urged NATO partners to speed up political and military assistance to Ukraine. Among the key priorities are the purchase of anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot system, 155-mm ammunition, and direct financing for the production of Ukrainian drones and missiles.
This is reported by Dengi.ua.
What Ukraine Asks from NATO Partners for 2026
Deputy Defense Minister Mstyslav Banik spoke online at the Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which was held in Lithuania this year. The event brought together around 250 MPs from across the Alliance and partner nations.
Among the top priorities Banik voiced to partners were:
- Financing the supply of air defense and other critical weapons through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL);
- Procurement of anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot systems;
- Procurement of long-range 155-mm artillery ammunition under the Czech Initiative;
- Direct financing for the production of Ukrainian drones and missiles.
For Ukraine, it is crucial to prioritize the purchase of weapons that can be delivered to the front line as early as this year.
How Many Drones and Missiles Ukraine Can Produce
Banik informed partners about the unique production capacity of the Ukrainian defense industry.
Ukraine is currently capable of producing:
- Up to 20 million drones annually;
- Thousands of deep-strike missiles;
- Thousands of air defense missiles.
"Subject to the availability of funding, these capacities can be fully utilized within a few months," the deputy minister emphasized. This means that the primary bottleneck for scaling up the Ukrainian defense industry is not production capabilities, but rather the availability of funds from international partners.
How Ukrainian Drones Are Changing the Course of the War Against Russia
Banik familiarized the parliamentarians with the results of applying Ukrainian innovations on the battlefield. One of the key areas is medium-strike drones. Thanks to these drones, the Ukrainian military carries out about 5,000 strikes a month at a distance of more than 20 kilometers, working to completely block enemy logistics deep inside occupied or enemy territory.
"Ukraine has managed to make warfare much more technologically advanced and cost-effective. An example of this is the effective use of FPV drones and the introduction of a line of unique digital products that allow for real-time reconnaissance, analytics, and calculations," Banik explained.
The deputy minister added that he says this from his own experience of managing FPV drones and commanding the unit.
How Much Funding Ukraine is Asking from Partners for 2026
Banik separately called on partners to provide additional funding on top of the EU loan. This is necessary to reach the target of $60 billion in aid this year.
"Right now at the Ministry of Defense, our entire team is combining a strategic vision with a deep understanding of the battlefield to ensure that every decision is clearly aligned with the most important priorities of our army," the deputy minister stressed.
To maintain its technological advantage and displace the enemy, Ukraine needs a systematic increase in funding.
What Ukraine is Ready to Offer NATO Countries in Return
Banik emphasized that Ukraine has gained unique experience in modern warfare and is ready to share it with allies, framing the relationship as a mutually beneficial partnership rather than just aid.
"This year, we are ready to give more to Europe: testing your products on our battlefield, sharing technology and data, and providing lessons learned that will help strengthen your own armies," Banik said.
According to him, Ukraine can offer allies the "mathematics of war" and, most importantly, a proven ability to rebuild and successfully ramp up defense production during an active, full-scale war.
