The Ukrainian government, in the budget draft approved on November 8 for the second reading for the year 2025, allocated over 55 billion UAH for the preparation of weapons and military equipment production, as reported by the Ministry of Strategic Industries (Minstrategprom).
According to a statement on the ministry's website on Tuesday, specifically, 54.55 billion UAH is earmarked for the implementation of state-targeted programs aimed at reforming and developing the defense industry, as well as for the development, mastery, and implementation of new technologies and the expansion of existing production capacities for manufacturing defense-related products.
"Of this amount, 7.6 billion UAH is in the general fund, while the rest is in the special fund," the statement clarifies.
Minstrategprom reminds that for the year 2024, just over 51 billion UAH was allocated for these purposes.
Additionally, 0.5 billion UAH has been designated for the implementation of the Financial Support Program for Defense Complex Entrepreneurship.
The ministry notes that this program, developed by them, offers preferential lending for defense industry producers. It provides access to loans on favorable terms for both state and private enterprises that are critical for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the livelihood of the population during special periods.
The interest rate for producers will be set at 5%, while the remaining interest will be covered by the state budget. The loan amount can be up to 100 million UAH for working capital for a period of up to three years, and up to 500 million UAH for investment projects for a duration of up to five years.
"For the year 2024, 263.4 million UAH has been allocated for these purposes," Minstrategprom provides a comparison.