KIEV, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's defense industry has witnessed a significant growth since 2014, when the armed conflict started in the country's eastern Donbas region, the country's state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom said Wednesday.

Ukroboronprom, which unites more than 130 enterprises from various sectors of Ukraine's defense industry, said in a report that it gained in 2017 a net profit of 55 million U.S. dollars, compared with a 33-million-dollar loss in 2014.

According to the report, the Ukroboronprom enterprises have developed more than 17 innovative models of defense equipment, including the "Stugna" and "Corsair" anti-tank missiles, the "Vilkha" rocket-launch system, An-132 planes and five types of armored vehicles, since 2014.

Over the past four years, the Ukroboronprom has supplied the Ukrainian armed forces with 18,615 units of weapons and military equipment, including armored vehicles, planes, helicopters, air defense systems, artillery systems and missiles.

The conflict in Ukraine's eastern Lugansk and Donetsk regions, together known as Donbas, started in April 2014 after government forces launched offensives to regain control of the cities and towns seized by armed groups which declared independence from Kiev.