By Rostyslav Averchuk
Lviv, Ukraine, July 3 (EFE).- Ukraine has announced a new mechanism for exporting drones and other innovative weapons in an effort to generate funds for scaling production, attract international partnerships and meet the needs of its armed forces.
The rules approved by the government aim to effectively launch exports, which have largely failed to materialise after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first announced the initiative in autumn 2025, due to complicated bureaucracy despite high international interest in Ukrainian technologies.
Under the new framework, Ukrainian producers will be able to sell weapons to countries that have signed a “Drone Deal” intergovernmental agreement with Ukraine, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced.
Balancing exports and defense needs
“Every contract will serve our main goal: to build a strong defense industry and ensure more weapons for the Ukrainian army,” Svyrydenko said in a video address.
She explained that between 20 and 30 percent of export revenues will be channeled into a government fund to expand military production inside Ukraine. Sales of systems designated by the government as critical for national defense will remain restricted.
Manufacturers’ export requests will be reviewed within 30 days. Producers will retain intellectual property rights in their technologies, and any further transfers by buyers to third parties will require Ukrainian approval.
“Ukrainian defense technology has proven its effectiveness on the battlefield. Our task is to create conditions for manufacturers to scale production, access new markets and attract investment, without compromising supplies to the Defense Forces,” Minister Fedorov stated.
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov noted that Ukraine has already signed six Drone Deal agreements, with more than 20 additional countries currently working to join the initiative. The agreements run for 10 years and cover the export of production and technologies as well as broader defense cooperation.
Industry welcomes move
The announcement has been welcomed by representatives of Ukraine’s rapidly growing defense sector, which had criticized authorities for moving too slowly to capitalize on the global interest in its battle-tested know-how.
“Only through exports can we become architects of European and global security. This is a strategic issue that will determine the future of our country,” Maria Berlinska, a prominent figure in the drone industry, wrote on Telegram.
More than 50 percent of the weapons currently used by Ukrainian forces are now produced domestically by hundreds of companies. Industry associations say output could at least double with additional funding beyond limited state orders.
Export revenues would enable greater investment in research and development, while the share collected by the state could help increase domestic procurement.
Battle-tested advantage
Ukrainian drones and anti-drone systems benefit from continuous testing in real combat conditions and are constantly updated based on frontline feedback, Anton, an engineer from a Kharkiv-based drone producer, told EFE.
F-Drones, a Ukrainian manufacturer, announced on Friday the first officially approved sale of 2,000 drones produced in Ukraine to the United States.
However, the window of opportunity is narrowing as foreign companies increasingly invest in similar technologies, sometimes copying Ukrainian solutions.
“Ukrainian products are battle-tested, with an excellent balance of quality and price. We are strong competitors. But the market niches Ukraine could occupy are being filled by others,” Anastasia Mishkina of the Technological Forces of Ukraine, an association of around 100 producers, said in a recent interview.
To secure its leading role in global markets, Ukraine must go beyond simply selling weapons and actively share combat experience too, Kateryna Mykhalko, former head of the Technological Forces of Ukraine, emphasized.
“In most European countries, there is no full-fledged market yet, because neither buyers nor end users of such weapons have fully appeared,” she wrote on her social media. Mykhalko noted that Ukraine can help its partners build their own “robotic defense ecosystems” and adapt to the changing nature of warfare. EFE
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