On February 8, in a strategic announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the country will officially open 10 arms export centers in Europe in 2026. These facilities will be focused on the Baltic and Nordic countries, Kiev's closest allies in the prolonged conflict.
In addition to expanding the trade network, the Ukrainian leader also revealed important information about defense industry cooperation. Accordingly, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) production lines using Ukrainian technology will soon be put into operation right in Germany.
In mid-February, we will witness the first unmanned aerial vehicles produced in Germany. I will be the one to directly receive the first UAV from this production line," Zelensky shared on his personal Telegram channel.
President Zelensky also emphasized that similar production lines are currently operating effectively in the United Kingdom. He affirmed: "Today, Europe's security is built on technology and drones. All these projects are based on the technology platform and team of experts from Ukraine.
The move to export defense technology and open production lines abroad is part of a larger effort to internationalize Kiev's arms industry. This decision stems from a wartime economic paradox: Ukraine's drone production capacity is now far beyond the government's financial capacity to purchase.
This latest announcement is a continuation of Mr. Zelensky's direction in October last year, when he requested the Ministry of Defense to launch a "controlled export" mechanism starting from November 2025.
Under this mechanism, Ukraine is allowed to export military equipment with excess production capacity to earn foreign currency, and then use this profit to reinvest in other essential weapons that the military is lacking.
The Ukrainian defense industry, especially the drone sector, has had a spectacular boom since the full-scale conflict broke out in 2022. More than 200 military technology companies have emerged, providing cheap but highly adaptable weapon systems, contributing to reshaping the face of modern warfare.
