Zelenskyy announces launch of Ukrainian arms exports to global markets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Kyiv is beginning to export domestically produced weapons, which include drones, missiles, ammunition, and other types of military equipment, and software.

He said Ukrainian companies will be able to supply weapons to partner countries under a special framework known as Drone Deals, Caliber.Az reports, citing his Telegram channel.

“The procedure is absolutely clear: at the intergovernmental level, based on the principle of reciprocity, we define the framework for safe cooperation through the relevant agreement,” he noted.

According to him, this is followed by a process at the level of state institutions and manufacturers.

“We are simplifying bureaucratic procedures, maintaining a sufficient level of export control, and launching the practical mechanisms for companies to operate,” he stressed.

The Ukrainian leader made it clear that Ukrainian companies will gain a real opportunity to enter the markets of partner countries, provided that the Ukrainian military has the primary right to receive the required volume of weapons.

Excess production capacity in Ukraine for certain types of weapons reaches 50%, which is a direct result of Ukraine’s investments in the defence industry and cooperation with partners.

“I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, together with our intelligence services and the Security Service of Ukraine, to determine the list of countries to which exports of our weapons are not possible due to their cooperation with Russia. This is a serious challenge—to prevent our technologies and weapons from reaching the Russians,” he added.

Zelenskyy emphasised that the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine will coordinate export processes and ensure that the needs of Ukraine’s defence and security forces are met as a priority, while only surplus production—what manufacturers can produce beyond the state order—is exported.

The Ministry of Defence and the General Staff will determine the requirements of Ukraine’s defence forces.

He later added that “our special cooperation format with partners supporting Ukraine—Drone Deals—is already in operation with countries from three regions: the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, Europe, and the Caucasus.”

Zelenskyy said a proposal is also under consideration by our American partners.

“This concerns drones, defence systems, and other types of weapons necessary for real protection in the air, on land, and at sea. The conditions must be beneficial for Ukraine, oversight must be strict, and export revenues must help Ukraine defend itself,” he concluded.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov