Victory Chronicles-DAY 1321

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Oct. 6 that Ukraine’s defense industry could reach a production potential of $35 billion by 2026, driven largely by drones and missile systems. He noted that since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, Ukraine has expanded its defense manufacturing capacity “tens of times over.”

Zelenskyy said more than 40 percent of the weapons now used on the front line are either made in Ukraine or co-produced with Ukrainian partners, and he wants that share to exceed 50 percent by the end of this year. Domestic artillery production has surged, with 40 Bohdana self-propelled howitzers reportedly rolling off the line each month.

Ukraine also produced 2.4 million mortar and artillery shells last year. Looking ahead, Zelenskyy said Kyiv plans to export surplus weapons under a new initiative called “Zbroya,” or “Weapon.” Export platforms are expected to open in Europe, the United States and the Middle East – an effort to attract funding for Ukraine’s most urgent defense needs.

Ukraine to add 325 billion hryvnias ($8.1 billion) in defense spending, PM says. Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved amendments to the 2025 state budget to allocate an additional 324.7 billion hryvnias ($8.1 billion) for defense by the end of the year, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Oct. 6.

More than 310 billion hryvnias ($7.7 billion) will go to the general fund, including 301 billion hryvnias ($7.5 billion) for the Defense Ministry. Of that, 202 billion hryvnias ($5 billion) will fund troop salaries, 100 billion hryvnias ($2.5 billion) will go toward purchasing weapons—especially drones of all types, from fiber-optic FPV models to interceptor and deep-strike drones—and 8 billion hryvnias ($200 million) will cover other military expenses.

Svyrydenko said the decision reflects shifting conditions on the battlefield and Russia’s intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Most of the funding will come from 6 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in European Union support under the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) initiative, along with domestic savings and higher-than-expected revenues.

“Frozen Russian assets will help fund drone procurement,” Svyrydenko said. “Now the next step belongs to parliament—to swiftly approve the budget changes so our Defense Forces have what they need to resist the enemy.”

Explosions reported across occupied Crimea, oil depot on fire. Multiple explosions were reported overnight Oct. 6 across several parts of Russian-occupied Crimea, with local social media channels saying a fuel depot in Feodosia caught fire after a possible drone strike.

The Telegram channel Krymskyi Vyter (“Crimean Wind”) first reported blasts near the Saky airfield, followed by accounts of explosions in the Simferopol district and air raid sirens in military areas of Sevastopol. Later posts described additional detonations near Yevpatoria, Feodosia and the Kacha airfield.

Photos shared online showed large flames rising from an oil terminal in Feodosia. Russian authorities have not confirmed the cause, but previous Ukrainian strikes have targeted fuel and military sites on the peninsula, which Moscow has occupied since its illegal annexation in 2014.

Russian drone hits maternity hospital in Sumy, 166 people sheltered inside. A Russian drone struck a perinatal center in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Oct. 6, igniting the roof while more than 160 people were inside, regional officials said. The building housed 35 patients, 11 children and medical staff. All survived after taking shelter in time.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. No injuries were reported, though a 60-year-old hospital employee suffered stress shock from the blast and received medical assistance on site, officials added.

Key Takeaways

• Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin continues attempts to deter the US from sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine by linking improvements in the US-Russian bilateral relationship to concessions from the United States on the war in Ukraine.
• The Kremlin is trying to prevent the United States from providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in order to retain the sanctuary that Russia enjoys in its rear.
• Russia launched its largest combined drone and missile strike against Lviv Oblast on the night of October 4 to 5 with 163 combined projectiles.
• The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party secured widespread majorities in municipal elections in Georgia on October 4, sparking mass protests that Georgian Dream officials tried to blame on Ukraine.
• Russia is likely leveraging its close relations with Serbia and Republika Srpska to threaten to destabilize the Balkans and undermine European cohesion.
• Russian forces advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

• Zelenskyy: We strike Russia with Ukrainian weapons, and not only with drones
• Ukrainian forces strike explosives and ammunition plant in Russia’s Dzerzhinsk
• Ukraine launches battery network to avoid prolonged blackouts during Russian attacks
• Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service: North Korea supplies Russia with up to 50% of ammunition
• The Economist: Ukraine already using Flamingo missiles against Russia, expected to produce 7 per day soon
• Germany Chancellor Merz says Russia may be behind flights of unidentified drones
• Reuters: US urges UN to isolate Cuba over its fighters’ role in war against Ukraine