What we fight with: weapons that strengthened Ukraine's defense in 2025

In 2025, Ukrainian companies produced $12 billion worth of weaponry – this estimate is provided by Ihor Fedirko, Executive Director of The Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry. Although expectations were at the $35 billion level, there is nonetheless progress: for example, in 2024 this figure stood at $9 billion, and in previous years, it was even lower.Furthermore, 2025 became a record year for securing military aid from international partners: approximately $45 billion, according to Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal.Which weapons significantly strengthened the Ukrainian army in 2025? A selection of interesting examples from LIGA.net.RCH 155Type: self-propelled howitzer (SPH).Manufacturer: KNDS (Germany and France).Price: €12 million.The first vehicle of its class capable of firing while on the move. It reaches speeds of up to 100 km/h and fires 155mm shells.The artillery turret, equipped with an L52 gun and an 8-meter barrel, is fully automated, which allowed the crew size to be reduced to just a driver-mechanic and a commander, down from the five specialists required for its predecessor, the PzH 2000. At the same time, the capability to load and fire manually remains.The SETAS system, with integrated sensors and thermal imagers, provides the crew with a 360-degree view. If visual contact is established with the adversary, there is an option for direct fire via optoelectronics.The deployment time is 20 seconds, the displacement time is 10 seconds, and it has a rate of fire of nine rounds per minute.Mirage 2000-5FType: jet fighter.Manufacturer: Dassault Aviation (France).Price: $66-70 million.The Mirage 2000 aircraft was developed in the 1970s and was originally designed solely for air-to-air combat. For Ukraine, it has been enhanced with ground-strike missile capabilities.The Mirage 2000-5 is equipped with two 30mm DEFA 554 cannons and can carry air-to-air missiles (MICA EM, MICA IR, Super 530D, Magic II), air-to-ground missiles (SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow, AS-30L, AASM Hammer), anti-ship missiles (AM39 Exocet), and anti-radiation missiles. Additionally, the aircraft supports the use of both guided and free-fall bombs. The American F-16, unlike the Mirage 2000-5, is not capable of launching long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles.The aircraft reaches speeds of up to 2,340 km/h; its maximum combat payload is 6,200 kg.The RDY radar enables the Mirage 2000-5 to simultaneously track up to 24 targets and engage several of them. The ICMS Mk4 electronic warfare suite protects the aircraft against enemy anti-aircraft systems.Read alsoA "fully" Ukrainian drone is still a long way off: how Ukraine is reducing its dependence on ChinaLong Neptune (RK-360)Type:: cruise missile.Manufacturer: Kharkiv Aviation Plant, Motor Sich, Radionics, Arsenal, and others (Ukraine).Price: about $1.5 million.An improved model of the Neptune cruise missile, which in 2022 sank the Russian Black Sea Fleet cruiser Moskva.The warhead of the "Long Neptune" is 260 kg – 110 kg more than that of the standard Neptune. The flight range is also greater: 1,000 km versus 280 km.The missile's length is 6 m, and its body diameter is 0.5 m.It has already been used for attacks, specifically on military targets in occupied Crimea and on an oil complex in Tuapse.Bogdana-BType: towed gun.Manufacturer: Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant, Ukrainian Armor, and others (Ukraine).Price: about $1.5 million.The 155mm towed gun has an advantage over its predecessor, the classic "Bohdana" SPH, in that it is smaller in size, easier to conceal, and faster to deploy, according to the Ukrainian Ground Forces.It is also cheaper than the standard "Bohdana" due to the absence of a chassis, hydraulics, and electronics.The barrel length of the Bohdana-B is 52 calibers; weight – 10 tons; firing range: 30-60 km.The drawback of the system is the lack of an autoloader: a soldier, wearing upwards of 6 kg of gear, has to carry shells weighing 46 kg.BarsType: jet drone.Manufacturer: unnamed private company (Ukraine).Price: n/a.The "Bars" missile-drone is capable of delivering up to 100 kg of explosives at a range of up to 800 km, characterizing it as a medium-range weapon. The exact speed is unknown, but the small-sized turbojet engine suggests likely high performance and the ability to be a difficult target for air defense.Such "missile-drones" can be launched from both ground-based platforms and aircraft.FlamingoType: cruise missile.Manufacturer: Fire Point (Ukraine).Price: &lt;€1 million.The six-ton "Flamingo" missile is capable of delivering 1,150 kg of explosives to a range of 3,000 km with a cruise speed of up to 900 km/h. Wingspan – 7 m, maximum flight time – 4 hours, flight altitude – 0.02-10 km. Launch preparation time – 20-40 min.Read alsoThe developer of the Flamingo missile is working on a new air defense system. Blitz interview with CTO of Fire PointSapsanType: ballistic missile.Manufacturer: Pivdenne Design Office, Pivdenmash (Ukraine).Price: &gt;$500 million.The first successful use of the Sapsan missile took place in May, when it destroyed a Russian command post at a distance of almost 300 km.The loaded Sapsan combat vehicle weighs over 20 tons, while the ballistic missile itself weighs 3.5 tons. The warhead weighs 0.48 tons, which is more than five times larger than that of the American ballistic missile for the HIMARS system.The Sapsan can fly at speeds of up to 1.8 km/s.Gogol-MType: AI-based mother drone system.Manufacturer: Strategy Force Solutions.Price: one mission is $10,000.The system, which consists of a mothership drone with integrated artificial intelligence and two FPV drones, is capable of delivering 9 kg of explosives at a range of 300 km. Thanks to AI, the drones autonomously find and strike targets: enemy aircraft, air defense systems, and infrastructure objects.If the distance to the targets is less than 100 km, the drone returns for reuse.The SmartPilot system allows this to be done without GPS, as it utilizes visual-inertial navigation (video cameras and LIDAR).Sabre MK19(M)Type: turret.Manufacturer: Roboneers.Price: $16 450.An enhanced model of the "Shablya" (Sabre) combat module, which has been used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2023. It is designed for firing from a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. It can be mounted on both ground robotic platforms and conventional vehicles. It fires using direct or indirect guidance and can strike the enemy via coordinates from closed positions. A single operator is sufficient for control.New model of Sea BabyType: marine drone.Manufacturer: SBU.Price: about $0.2 million.The improved model of the Sea Baby maritime drone is capable of carrying up to 2,000 kg of cargo over a distance of more than 1,500 km, and features enhanced engines and navigation systems.This model can be integrated, specifically, with a gyrostabilized machine gun mount equipped with an auto-locking and target recognition system, and can also carry a 10-round "Grad" multiple rocket launcher system.The new Sea Baby model was involved in the third strike on the Crimean Bridge on June 3, 2025.The drone was manufactured using funds raised by Ukrainians on the United24 fundraising platform.Program Styx AIType: artificial intelligence software.Manufacturer: Swarmer (Ukraine).Price: n/a.The Styx AI program, thanks to integrated AI, can combine dozens of drones into "swarms." As of September, the development by the company Swarmer allowed for the connection of 10-15 drones, with management planning to increase this number to 100.Combining drones into swarms not only allows for more effective attacks on the enemy but also requires significantly fewer specialists. The proven effectiveness of Swarmer's technology on the battlefield was first revealed in September by the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, although the first individual applications began in 2024.In September, Swarmer raised $15 million for the development of drone swarms—the largest investment in a Ukrainian defense tech company since the start of the war.Safe Protection Dome interceptorsType: anti-drone system with artificial intelligence.Manufacturer: Alta Ares (France).Price: n/a.The Safe Protection Dome anti-drone system intercepts Russian Shaheds using Pixel Lock artificial intelligence. The AI model is embedded into the interceptor drone, allowing it to independently recognize enemy targets, perform final terminal homing, and destroy UAVs at a distance of up to 30 km. The system also includes Thales tactical radars.The system's autonomy not only eases the cognitive load on military personnel during massive Russian attacks but also reduces the risk of misses due to the human factor, as explained by Alta Ares CEO Adrian Kanter in an interview with LIGA.net. Furthermore, automation reduces the training time for military operators from five to eight months to just one week.Atreyd drone wallType: autonomous drone system with artificial intelligence.Manufacturer: Atreyd (France).Price: interception mission – from $5000.Equipped with artificial intelligence, the "Atreyd Drone Wall" can include up to 200 battery-powered FPV drones and acts as a vertical "minefield" for enemy munitions, adjusting to their flight trajectory and detonating them in the sky.The "Drone Wall" launches from a ground station and can operate autonomously at altitudes of several kilometers in the absence of GPS, as it possesses a pre-installed 3D map of its area of responsibility—an advantage in electronic warfare environments. It also features identification technology to prevent "friendly fire."Drones that do not detonate during a defensive operation can return to their launch platforms and be used for other missions.Read also"Started with $30,000" How the Production of Bionic Prostheses is Organized: Explained by the CEO of AllbionicsDroid NW 40Type: unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with a grenade launcher.Manufacturer: DevDroid (Ukraine).Price: more than $33,000.The Droid NW 40 reconnaissance and strike unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) became the first Ukrainian GRP equipped with a grenade launcher to be codified by the Ministry of Defense. It operates with the 40mm Mk-19 or AGL-53 automatic grenade launcher, carrying an ammunition load of up to 48 rounds.It is capable of engaging light armored targets and personnel at a range of 1.5 km and supports six types of communication, including LTE, Mesh, and Starlink. The platform can travel continuously for up to 12 hours, covering up to 50 km on hard surfaces and up to 40 km in off-road conditions.

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