Nearly three weeks after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukraine’s intention to open its arms industry to exports, officials say the plan is now moving from words to action with the first sales offices scheduled for Berlin and Copenhagen.
Ukraine’s decision to export arms may seem counterintuitive given its ongoing reliance on Western military aid, especially in areas like artillery shells, aircraft components, and precision munitions.
However, drones are an exception: Ukraine now produces enough to meet frontline needs while still having surplus capacity for foreign customers. Officials note that the defense-industrial base has an estimated annual capacity of about $35 billion, much of it currently underused, and export contracts could help fully activate it.
Ukrainian engineers say their combat-tested designs give them a competitive edge over European and American manufacturers, whose systems lack comparable real-war refinement. Many NATO countries have already approached Ukrainian companies for partnerships or procurement, signalling growing demand for Ukraine’s battlefield-proven technology. Under the new plan, Denmark and Germany will host export offices that showcase Ukrainian systems and help negotiate deals with governments and private buyers.
Photo by Genya Savilo