Ukraine Arms Europe

Translated by Federico Emanuele

Nearly four years after the large-scale invasion of its territory by the Russian army, which began on February 24, 2022, Ukraine has transformed its defense sector into one of the most innovative in the world. This turning point occurred between 2023 and 2024, when the arms industry recorded growth exceeding 300%, benefiting from a stream of funding worth tens of billions of euros, particularly from Brussels and Washington.

The rapid increase in weapons production, driven by the urgent wartime needs of Kyiv, was made possible by the opening of numerous Ukrainian military equipment manufacturing centers in the heart of Central and Western Europe. Over the years, dozens of such centers have emerged both inside and outside the European Union, especially in Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. These numbers are expected to grow following remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early February, when he announced the imminent opening of at least ten additional “export facilities” for weapons on European soil. These full-scale arms factories, to be established in partnership with local companies, will support the actions of Ukrainian troops on the front lines and will also focus on producing reconnaissance and combat drones that will be sold to European countries.

All of this is part of the broader program for the internationalization of the country’s arms industry outlined by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal last June, which has become necessary because the funding received by Kyiv exceeds the nation’s production capacity. While the defense sector as a whole has experienced a boom, the core of Ukraine’s military modernization rests on the production of tactical drones, of which the Eastern European state has become the world’s leading manufacturer. Today, the country produces four million drones per year, and with the funding expected in 2026, approximately 120 billion euros, this figure could double, consolidating its position as a global hub for new combat technologies. According to Myhaylo Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, a Kyiv-based think tank, this leadership is due to the wartime conditions under which companies are operating, which have driven and continue to drive them “to give everything possible so that the armed forces can repel the Russians,” motivated by factors that “go far beyond economic returns.”

The technological acceleration achieved in just a few years by Ukrainian startups and private companies, which produce about 80% of the drones used by the army, has brought a revolution to attack and defense techniques on the battlefield. Initially, this increased the effectiveness of repelling Moscow’s air incursions and then made the advance of large armored vehicles on the front line almost obsolete, as they are easily targeted by small unmanned intercept drones. Hexacopters and octocopters such as Molfar, Kolibry, and Baba Yaga have become key players on the battlefield. Initially used in agriculture, they have proven to be formidable bombers capable of carrying up to 20 kilograms of explosives and reliable snipers equipped with thermal vision for night precision. These are some of the best-known names that may soon shape the future of European defense and possibly NATO, starting with the construction of a protective network in the Nordic-Baltic region and Central Europe. At present, the first step in reversing the arms flow between Europe and Ukraine is expected by the end of the month, with the completion of the first combat drone destined for Berlin.

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