Expert outlines benefits of Ukrainian military technologies entering EU markets

This view was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by Bohdan Dolintse, aviation expert and director of the NGO Institute of Management and Strategies.

Commenting on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that ten export centers will open in EU countries in 2026, Dolintse explained why this move is advantageous for Ukrainian arms producers.

“Last year, Ukrainian manufacturers operated at only 30–40% of capacity, meaning about 60% stood idle. These facilities could have been used to fulfill foreign contracts,” Dolintse noted.

He added that Ukrainian producers have long raised the issue of exporting arms and dual-use technologies. According to him, opening exports has two key objectives: first, to meet the demand of manufacturers who see the lack of exports as the main barrier to growth; and second, to create legal conditions for Ukrainian companies to establish production facilities in EU countries.

“This will allow Ukrainian producers to legally set up enterprises in Europe to manufacture the same products and then supply them back to Ukraine. Moreover, such facilities will be protected from destruction, unlike those in Ukraine, which remain under constant Russian attack,” the expert said.

Dolintse stressed that most weapons produced abroad using Ukrainian technologies are not unique. For example, FPV drones or ground robotic systems are largely based on integrating existing technologies and can be replicated relatively easily.

“The greatest value lies in communication technologies and various software solutions developed by Ukraine during years of full-scale war. These include electronic intelligence systems, tools for coordinating combat operations, and AI-based systems for analyzing video and images from the battlefield,” he explained.

Such innovations, Dolintse emphasized, are of particular interest to Western arms manufacturers, who cannot quickly replicate or test them under real combat conditions.

He noted that mechanisms for transferring military technologies may vary — from licensing to offset agreements and joint ventures

“Offset agreements may involve transferring a certain number of finished products as well as parts of technologies. At the same time, Ukraine could set conditions — for example, that products manufactured under these technologies be supplied exclusively to Ukraine or to the armed forces of the licensing country for five to ten years,” Dolintse said.

He stressed that any transfer of military technologies requires approval from Ukraine’s State Service for Export Control.

“Even if a company is established abroad by Ukrainians and registered overseas, it has no right to use Ukrainian military technologies without proper authorization. Otherwise, this would violate not only Ukrainian but also international arms-control legislation,” the expert underlined.

Dolintse added that the state will pay special attention to monitoring the end users of these technologies, a function that export centers will also perform.

“If such technologies were to fall into the hands of terrorists and be used in an attack, this would pose serious risks for Ukraine — including international sanctions and strained relations with other states,” he warned.

That is why, he explained, strict global regulations govern the sale of technologies, subsequent weapons production, and even the end users of finished arms.

“There is even a specific approval procedure. For example, when Ukraine received F-16 aircraft, the European countries that owned them had to obtain U.S. permission to transfer the planes to Ukraine,” Dolintse concluded.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Zelensky announced on February 8 the opening of Ukrainian military technology exports and said that ten export centers will operate in EU countries in 2026.

Photo: Oleksandr Rykhlytskyi, 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade