Ukrainian forces prepare a Shark maritime drone for launching in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, October 30, 2023. (Photo by Reuters)

Ukraine�s defense industry minister has voiced Kiev�s goal to turn the former Soviet Republic into a major arms manufacturer for the West.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Oleksandr Kamyshin said that the Kiev leaders are really focusing on making Ukraine the arsenal of the free world, referring to the US-led Western countries.

Kamyshin, who is now running Ukraine�s defense industry with 300,000 employees, worked as the head of the national railway company before being appointed to this post eight months ago.

He said some 500 companies -- 70 state-owned and 200 private factories, in addition to 200 private firms -- are producing weapons and munitions for the country�s military to arm Kiev�s forces to fight against Russian troops.

We are focused on producing all types of weapons and ammunition, and we show that we can test it on the battlefield and make it better during the war, Kamyshin said. That�s something we can contribute to the free world, because as you see, defense industry is becoming more and more important globally.

Kamyshin revealed Ukraine is now producing drones that can strike targets inside Russia.

As you know, Moscow never sleeps. Now, Sochi never sleeps. Now, Krasnodar never sleeps. And there would be more Russian cities that never sleep, said Kamyshin, referring to regular drone strikes occurring on Russian territory.

Artillery ammunition production has increased by 20 times in the last 10 months, and armored vehicle production has grown by five times during the same period, Kamyshin added.

However, he claimed the increased production was not enough to cover Kiev�s military needs and asked Ukraine�s Western backers to continue to supply the former Soviet republic with more weapons and munitions.

No matter how much you grow, it would never be enough because we got the greatest war of generations, he claimed, referring to Russia�s special military operation in Donbas. That�s why we will always be dependent on foreign supply as well.

Since Russia launched its campaign in eastern Ukraine in February 2022 to stop Kiev�s persecution of its population, while preventing NATO�s eastward encroachment, the US-led Western countries have supplied Kiev with numerous shipments of weapons and munitions worth more than $100bn.

In this regard, the United States announced its latest $425mn package of weapons and munitions for Kiev�s forces on Friday.