Kim announced municipal production of drones to shoot down "Shaheds"

We give them away free of charge to the defense forces protecting southern Ukraine, - Kim

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25 Mar 2026

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In Mykolaiv Oblast, additional tax revenues obtained thanks to attracting business were directed to a municipal enterprise that produces its own drones to combat Russian strike unmanned aerial vehicles of the “Shahed” type.

This was reported by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim during an interview on the program “Khid Tuzova”. He clarified that while regions cannot speak about intercepting ballistic missiles due to the lack of appropriate systems, countering drones has already become an area in which local authorities are actively involved. According to him, there is a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine that allows not only military structures but also civilian organizations to be involved in this.

The head of the region said he has an agreement with the mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Senkevych, on the use of additional funds that come into the budget from new businesses. It was these funds, he said, that were directed to the municipal enterprise that manufactures interceptor drones. The finished devices are handed over free of charge to the Defense Forces defending the south of Ukraine. Vitaliy Kim claims that there are already thousands of such drones that have been transferred to the military and are being used to destroy enemy targets, and thanks to this they have managed to increase both the interception rate and the total number of shoot-downs.

Separately, Kim clarified that the community’s funds are invested not only in defensive but also in offensive unmanned aerial vehicles. All these devices, he said, are also handed over free of charge to the Defense Forces. He also cited an approximate cost for such interceptors: “from memory” — about $1,200, while the market price of a similar product can reach approximately $4,000.

The conversation also touched on the possibility of scaling up production. The host modeled a scenario in which foreign investors could finance a sharp increase in the output of such drones. The head of the administration noted that it is technically possible to increase production — provided there is funding and the necessary permits. According to him, the process itself is not overly complicated, and production is located in Mykolaiv Oblast.

Vitaliy Kim began talking about the use of taxes for such needs while answering a question about where exactly the additional funds received from businesses in Mykolaiv are directed.

“We used this money — the taxes — for a municipal enterprise that produces its own drones to shoot down Shaheds. We give them away free to the Defense Forces that defend the south of Ukraine. Right now there are thousands of drones that have already been handed over and they are exactly the ones shooting them down. We increased the percentage and the number of shoot-downs, let’s say, because of this step.”