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The Economist magazine revealed that Ukraine is stepping up its missile development program with the ambition of producing 3,000 cruise missiles by the end of 2025.
Among these, the Trembita rocket, dubbed the "people's rocket", stands out due to its affordable price and incredible efficiency.
Amid an increasingly fierce and escalating conflict with Russia, Ukraine has set a goal of building a modern defense industry capable of meeting combat needs without depending on supplies from the West.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov optimistically declared that 2025 will be "the year of Ukrainian cruise missiles".
Among the missile models Ukraine is testing for production, the Trembita missile is an important part of this strategy.
With an improved pulse jet engine, once used by Germany for the V-1 flying bomb in World War II, the Trembita can reach speeds of 400 km/h and a range of up to 200 km, and Ukrainian engineers are working on increasing the range to reach Moscow.
The cost of each missile is only about 15,000 USD, much lower than similar missiles from the West. The decoy version is even cheaper, only 3,000 USD.
But the development process has not been easy. Ukrainian engineers face significant financial and security risks, especially as Russia continues to attack industrial infrastructure. To ensure secrecy, production facilities are dispersed and designed to withstand air strikes.
The Economist notes that it will take at least another year for Ukraine to achieve mass production capacity sufficient to pose a serious strategic threat to Russia. However, if successful, the Trembita will be not only a weapon but also a symbol of Ukraine’s innovation and technological self-reliance.
In addition to Trembita, Ukraine is developing other important missile projects, including Neptune, Grom-2 and drones. In particular, the Palianytsia and Peklo drone models were recently unveiled by the Kiev authorities.
The Ukrainian government also aims to produce 30,000 long-range drones next year.
Expert Fabian Hoffmann from the University of Oslo (Norway) commented: "Ukraine is making great strides in developing small, cheap but powerful missile systems, capable of destroying high-value targets deep in enemy territory."
Still, experts warn, Ukraine's success depends on many factors: the ability to maintain resources, protect production facilities and ensure progress amid increasingly tense conflict.
As 2025 approaches, Ukraine will be betting not just on the Trembita missile, but also on its belief in innovation and determination to overcome adversity. The defense technology war between Kiev and Moscow continues, but with the Trembita, Ukraine could rewrite the rules of the game on the battlefield.
