Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that the country will launch a controlled weapons export program next month and aims to meet more than 50 percent of its defense needs with domestically produced weapons by year’s end.
Efforts will focus on accelerating production and delivery of first-person view attack drones, interceptor systems, and long-range deep-strike drones.
Kyiv’s new export framework aims to create a transparent, government-supervised process for selling weapons abroad while keeping Ukraine’s defense needs as the top priority, according to Ukrainian government-run outlet UNITED24 Media.
The announcement comes after Zelensky launched the “Build with Ukraine” program earlier this year, through which Kyiv plans to establish defense production lines in European partner countries and grant access to domestically produced technologies.
Countries that have expressed interest include Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, and the UK.
As part of the initiative, Ukrainian defense exports could also expand to nations outside Europe.
Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, stated, “we continue working daily with partners to attract more investment into Ukraine’s defense industry and ensure more weapons here and now.”
Enhancing Defense Capacity
Kyiv is taking multiple steps to boost its defense capacity as the fight with Russia continues.
While military aid to Ukraine has dropped by 43 percent in recent months, the country is reinforcing its capabilities through joint production initiatives with NATO partners, strengthening both domestic and allied production.
Earlier this month, the Netherlands pledged $127 million to co-produce deep-strike drones with Kyiv.
Moreover, the UK and Ukraine launched the LYRA program to develop and expand battlefield technologies, combining the industrial and scientific expertise of both countries.
