Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has urged his country's European and US partners to provide more weapons and deliver them in a timely manner.

Umerov made the plea at a forum in the capital, Kyiv, on Sunday. At the gathering, the situation on the frontlines and the prospects for Ukraine's arms industry were discussed.

The defense minister complained that 50 percent of the aid allocated by his country's partners has not been delivered on time. He noted that the delays bring about consequences. Umerov said, "We lose personnel, we lose territories."

The Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said Ukraine's defense industry has been expanding. He said the industry now encompasses over 500 enterprises that are either state-owned or private. He also said that last year the industry produced three times more than it did in 2022.

But he stressed that the industry will not be able to provide enough ammunition, even if it continues to increase production. The minister said the demand for ammunition on the Ukrainian front is greater than the total amount that the United States and the European Union can produce.

Kamyshin added that Ukraine used large numbers of drones in the air and in the sea last year. He predicted this year will be the year that more will be heard about ground-based robotic systems.