The European Union and Ukraine have signed an agreement to jointly expand the production of drones, a rapidly evolving technology that has reshaped modern warfare.
The agreement was announced on Wednesday in Kyiv by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The initiative aims to combine the EU’s industrial base with Ukraine’s world-leading expertise, gained through more than four years of fighting against Russian forces.
Drones have played a crucial role in helping Kyiv overcome its manpower disadvantage and carry out long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries, contributing to fuel supply disruptions.
“We are producing 10 million drones a year. And it will be 20 million,” Zelenskyy said during a ceremony marking Ukraine’s Statehood Day in St. Michael’s Square in the capital.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has fundamentally changed the nature of the battlefield for the first time.
Funding for the initiative will come from two EU sources: the €90 billion Ukraine support loan and approximately €10 billion still available under the SAFE defense program.
Until now, several EU member states had signed individual agreements with Ukraine to benefit from its technological expertise.
The agreement approved on Wednesday adds a broader dimension by making the partnership available to all 27 EU member states.
“In Europe, we already have significant technological and industrial capacity that can be mobilized. And we have safe and secure production sites that can help scale it up,” von der Leyen said.
As a second step, the European Commission plans to expand the partnership to include the production of ballistic and anti-ballistic missile systems, although that remains a longer-term objective.
“Now is the time to invest in Ukraine, to invest in Europe, and to invest in our shared security and future,” von der Leyen said.
