Exports of Ukrainian weapons to begin in coming weeks – Fedorov
Ukraine will begin the process of exporting weapons in the coming weeks, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said.
He made the announcement at a press conference following a meeting of the Contact Group in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Indeed, a lot of our partners are raising the issue of exports – everyone wants to take part in the production of Ukrainian drones. The President will soon announce new products manufactured by Ukrainian companies together with enterprises from our partner countries. We already discussed the ‘Octopus’ today, which is produced in Ukraine and the United Kingdom. A commission responsible for exports has now been formed. Its composition was approved by a presidential decree a few days ago. Essentially, the new, approved process will start operating in the coming days and weeks,” Fedorov said.
Responding to a journalist’s question about the possible number of drones to be exported, the defense minister said it was difficult to predict and that such information would not be made public. However, he stressed that Ukraine plans to increase UAV production this year and expand drone supplies for its armed forces.
“This applies to all types and categories of drones. Given the doctrinal changes taking place on the battlefield, it is important for us to increase production of certain categories of drones that we previously manufactured in smaller quantities,” Fedorov explained.
He also noted that the number of drones produced would depend on available funding.
“All of this will give us an answer to how many drones – and which types – Ukraine will be able to produce this year. In parallel, we will understand what can be exported, because Ukrainian drones must first and foremost meet the needs of the Ukrainian military in order to stop the enemy,” Fedorov concluded.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier had said that until the end of the war, Ukraine would carry out controlled exports of weapons that are not in short supply. According to him, ten export centers will be operating in 2026, and production of Ukrainian drones is set to begin in Germany in mid-February.
On February 10, the President approved the composition of the Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control. The commission is headed by Yevhen Ostrianskyi, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. His deputies are Yurii Myronenko, Deputy Defense Minister, and Oleksandr Mishchenko, Deputy Foreign Minister.