Frontline tool Ukraine can’t fight without: 5,000 pickups now procured through largest-ever open tender
Ukraine's Defense Ministry is now procuring 5,000 pickups for the Defense Forces through an open Prozorro tender. It is the largest batch of vehicles the state has ever directed to the military through a competitive procedure, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says.
The open-tender model has a proven track record for rear supplies: competitive procurement of non-lethal goods saved Ukraine nearly $362 million in 2025, about 14.8% off expected costs, the Ministry of Defense's press service reported via Mezha.
Pickups, long-neglected by the state but among the most in-demand frontline transport, fit that model cleanly.
Pickups are needed for everything on front line
The Defense Procurement Agency (DOT) has launched an open procedure to run in stages via Prozorro framework agreements, with the first batches due by the end of the year, Fedorov says.
Pickups are needed for logistics, evacuation, unit mobility, and drone-crew work. DOT, granted centralized procurement-organization status this year, handles market consultations, technical requirements, qualification criteria, and supplier vetting.
"Our vision is open tenders as the basis of the new procurement system. These are transparent rules, competition between suppliers, minimization of corruption, and effective use of state funds," Fedorov states.
He says an earlier competitive procurement of 155mm artillery shells had achieved savings of over 16%, and that summer would be "the time of transition to tender procedures," with drones the next category.
These are only first steps in reforms
