Estonia to procure Ukrainian drones under new defence partnership

Estonia plans to purchase Ukrainian-made drones and long-range strike systems under a recently signed defence cooperation agreement on unmanned technologies between Tallinn and Kyiv.

In an interview with Euractiv, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the ministry has already identified key areas of cooperation with Ukraine.

According to Pevkur, these include long-range strike capabilities, drones, and battlefield management systems. He did not specify which Ukrainian defence manufacturers could be involved.

The minister noted that the agreement will enable the creation of joint defence industry ventures and the establishment of production lines in Estonia, allowing Ukrainian defence companies already operating in Ukraine to expand manufacturing into Estonia. 

However, he stressed that Kyiv would need to grant export licences for weapons production outside Ukraine before manufacturing can begin, noting that several companies already producing in Ukraine are expected to launch production in Estonia as well.

By Jeyhun Aghazada