Ukraine and EU agree joint drone production deal as Ursula von der Leyen visits Kyiv. Follow DW
07/15/2026 July 15, 2026 Ukraine and EU seal bloc-wide drone production deal Ukraine and the European Union have agreed on a new "drone deal" combining
07/15/2026 July 15, 2026 Ukraine and EU seal bloc-wide drone production deal Ukraine and the European Union have agreed on a new "drone deal" combining Kyiv's battlefield expertise with the EU's industrial capacity to expand production. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the agreement during a speech in Kyiv marking Ukraine's Statehood Day.
"We need to combine our strengths," she said. "This deal will bring together Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe's industrial scale." Ukraine has built a sophisticated drone industry since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, transforming a sector in which it previously had limited expertise. Kyiv has already signed similar agreements with individual countries.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed three more at last week's NATO summit in Ankara, bringing the total to nine. The deal involves countries and companies across the EU. "The knowledge you have gained on how to work drone and anti-drone systems is truly unique," von der Leyen told Zelenskyy. "We must tap into this together.
Because we know the threats that Europe faces in this area — we have seen incursions and alerts across many member states," she added. Von der Leyen said the EU could offer Ukraine vast technological and industrial capacity, as well as secure production sites.
The BriefWire