Ukraine plans to open 10 weapons export centers in Europe this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the centers will handle the export of surplus military equipment, with the proceeds used to purchase urgently needed weapons for Ukraine.
The facilities will be established in Baltic and Northern European countries, with a focus on drone technologies.
Zelensky added that drone production has started in Germany, with the first units expected later this month, while similar production lines are already operating in the UK.
“Today, Europe’s security is built on technology and drones. There are several different projects. All of this will be based largely on Ukrainian technologies and Ukrainian specialists,” he stated.
Export and Self-Reliance
The recently announced export plans signal Ukraine’s shift from a nation largely dependent on international military aid to an emerging contributor to Europe’s defense capabilities.
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, the war-torn country’s defense sector has expanded rapidly, particularly in drones, with more than 200 local companies involved in domestic production of unmanned system systems.
In 2025, Kyiv allocated a record $43 billion to the defense industry, which supplied around 40 percent of the armed forces’ needs.
Amid these developments, Ukraine had already proposed a controlled weapons export program in Europe.
Announced by President Zelenskyy in October last year, the initiative establishes a government-supervised process for the sale of weapons abroad while keeping Ukraine’s defense needs as the top priority.
Previous efforts include the “Build with Ukraine” project, under which Kyiv announced plans to open defense production lines in European partner countries and provide access to domestically produced technologies.
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