(Reuters) - Ukraine expects the first "results" of joint air defence systems production with the United States by the end of the year, a government minister said in an interview published on Wednesday,
Oleksandr Kamyshin, minister of strategic industries, told the media outlet nv.ua that the two countries had already started working on joint production following a visit by a Ukrainian delegation to Washington last month.
"During our visit to the United States, we received not just another assurance of continued financial and military support, but also a willingness to work on the joint production of air defence systems," Kamyshin was quoted as saying. "We have already started working on this."
Kamyshin said the first results of joint production would be seen by the end of 2023, without specifying if that meant the first jointly built system would be ready by then.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff last week said specialists were expected to arrive in Ukraine soon to draw up plans to establish production of military equipment, including air defences.
Kyiv has stepped up efforts to boost domestic weapons production as much as possible as 19 months into Russia's invasion demand has soared for arms and ammunition to fend off attacks along a 1,000-km (600-mile)front line.