Personnel shortage in the defense industry: who is lacking the most
15 August 2025 20:24
The Ukrainian defense industry lacks the most specialized specialists. Dmytro Lutsenko, Executive Director of the Association of Distributors of Ukraine, said this in an interview with the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel.
“This sector needs specialists, engineers, people who know how to do mathematical calculations, explosives experts, sappers. And these are highly specialized specialists who have been studying for years at universities and have a lot of experience,” he said.
Lutsenko added that the metallurgical industry, among others, is experiencing a shortage of personnel.
“Most of the enterprises that used to cast steel are located in the temporarily occupied territory. They are destroyed and do not work.
The industry is gradually being restored, but there is a shortage of specialists. The reason for this is that some of the specialists were of retirement age and had the opportunity to go abroad, while others voluntarily joined the army,” he added.
As a reminder, after 2022, Ukraine’s defense industry is experiencing a rapid expansion of production, particularly in the areas of unmanned systems, ammunition, and armored vehicles. This has led to a sharp increase in demand for qualified specialists, from design engineers and technologists to operators of modern equipment and control system specialists.
The situation is complicated by the fact that some of the personnel have been mobilized and some have gone abroad. In addition, in many specialties, the younger generation is only studying, and it is impossible to replace experienced workers quickly. The shortage of personnel leads to overloading of existing teams, lengthening of production time, and increased competition between companies for personnel.
To address the problem, some companies are launching their own training centers, reducing on-the-job training time and offering higher salaries than in the civilian sector. The government, in turn, is considering mechanisms for booking specialists and stimulating specialized education.
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