Ukraine Wants Its Own Arms Factories

The Paris Air Show is the world’s premiere aviation demonstration show and international arms trade fair. On June 19, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Sergiy Boyev began talks with several manufacturers from Germany, Italy, France and other Eastern European countries to consider producing their weapons on Ukrainian territory, according to Reuters and other news services. Kyiv’s immediate need is for the fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion, but it also has one eye on the future.

Ukraine plans to produce military equipment and various weapons systems – for both its domestic defense needs and for export which based the experience it has gained in its war with Russia, would place heavy emphasis on the manufacture of drones.

Kyiv hopes to partner with foreign companies not only to meet its own needs but also to build a defense industry that could compete in the global marketplace and provide new jobs in the post-war environment.

“The future deterrence of aggression will require a strong defense industry in Ukraine, and strong Ukrainian armed forces,” Boyev said.

“That’s why we think international partners coming to Ukraine, setting up production and making Ukraine part of the security framework for the free world is so essential.”

This week in Paris, Kyiv is in talks with manufacturers from Western and Eastern Europe about producing many of the weapons that it currently imports in Ukraine itself.

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“We are in very detailed discussions with them. And we are certain that we will have the contract agreements signed within the next few months,” Boyev told.

While Ukraine needs more ammunition across the board and is awaiting Western fighter aircraft, including the F-16, the country is planning to leverage its wartime experience in the use of drones.

Currently, Turkey, Norway and the United States are among the countries that have been supplying Ukraine with drones, but as the war intensifies with the ongoing summer offensive more are needed.

Boyev said “production in Ukraine could be an effective way to capitalize on the country’s existing drone expertise and create jobs in western and central Ukraine” where the threat of attack is somewhat lower.

Additionally, according to Reuters: “Germany's Rheinmetall said last month it had set up a joint venture, with the Ukrainian state-owned enterprise Ukroboronprom, to build and repair tanks in Ukraine, for which operations were expected to begin in mid-July.

In May, President Zelensky said the country was working with the British defense company BAE Systems to set up a Ukrainian base to both produce and repair weapons including tanks and artillery, something Ukraine will undoubtedly need during the summer offensive. However, a deal with the British company hasn’t yet been signed.