No one can buy Ukrainian drones bypassing state – Zhovkva

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"No one will be able to bypass this. In every civilized country, the export of weapons is regulated by the state. Ukraine, especially during war, is no exception," Zhovkva said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine invites partners to engage in joint weapons production. The volume of investment Ukraine can absorb to produce even more drones of various types exceeds EUR 35 billion. However, the first step for such cooperation, he noted, is an intergovernmental framework in the form of a memorandum or agreement on joint production. Ukraine already has four such frameworks — with Denmark, Lithuania, Romania, and Spain. Once such a framework is in place, further processes can be discussed, "again with proper adherence to procedures," he said.

He also noted that simply having interceptor drones is not enough. According to him, a layered defense system is needed, incorporating many components.

"It is not enough to just have interceptor drones. There must be a proper understanding of how this works within a system together with other air defense means, electronic warfare, and aviation. Ukraine has such a layered system and actively uses it," he said.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky, while speaking with journalists, confirmed that some foreign governments and companies are trying to obtain Ukrainian interceptor drones directly from manufacturers, bypassing official Kyiv. He criticized Ukrainian drone manufacturers who enter into such deals in an attempt to make "quick money," noting that they only lose their reputation by doing so. He stressed that "this problem can only be solved by systemic decisions, which may not be very pleasant," adding that such decisions may be made through the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff.

Earlier, Zelensky stated that until the end of the war, Ukraine will carry out controlled exports of weapons that are not in short supply. He also noted that Ukraine is already engaged in joint weapons production with three partners — Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Germany.