Ukraine, Germany set to deepen defence ties with new drone deal
Ukraine is offering Germany its battlefield expertise as the two countries finalize a new Drone Deal aimed at strengthening their defence capabilities. Image credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa
New Delhi: Ukraine and Germany are in the final stages of a new defence agreement covering the joint development of drones, missiles and related software, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy ,said on Wednesday after a call with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The deal, originally proposed by Kyiv several months ago, is aimed at expanding the defence capabilities of both countries through closer cooperation in military technology and production.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said teams from both countries were finalizing the text of the agreement and had discussed its substance as well as a possible date for signing.
“Our teams are already finalizing the text of the Drone Deal, and this will, among other things, definitely provide both Germany and Ukraine with additional defence capabilities,” Zelenskyy said.
The agreement is not a standalone initiative but the latest step in a defence relationship that has been moving towards deeper industrial cooperation. Ukraine has been seeking to bring its experience from the battlefield into partnerships with European defence industries, while Germany has been looking to strengthen its own military capabilities amid growing security concerns in Europe.
The groundwork for the latest agreement was laid in April, when Zelenskyy and Merz agreed to begin work on a bilateral drone deal during the first Ukrainian-German intergovernmental consultations in more than two decades.
According to reports, 10 documents were signed during the April meetings, including an arrangement for joint production of Ukrainian-German unmanned systems and an agreement to expand the use of battlefield data in the development and adaptation of weapons.
The April discussions also highlighted the scale of Ukrainian drone development.
Seven Ukrainian-made unmanned systems, including six aerial systems and one ground system, were presented to Zelenskyy and Merz as potential candidates for joint ventures between companies from the two countries.
One of the clearest examples of that model is quantum systems cooperation with Ukrainian defence companies. In April, the German company and Ukrainian manufacturer WIY Drones established Quantum WIY Industries to expand production of interceptor drones and related air-defence technologies.
That partnership followed an earlier German-Ukrainian co-production effort involving Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics. The venture, Quantum Frontline Industries, has already moved into production, with German-made Linza drones being supplied to Ukraine under the “Build with Ukraine” model.
The cooperation has also moved into counter-drone warfare. Germany is supporting a programme involving about 15,000 Strila interceptor drones for Ukraine, while it is also funding an order for 50,000 Shrike attack drones made by Ukrainian company SkyFall, which is one of the largest publicly reported western-government drone purchases for Kyiv.
The significance of the proposed deal lies partly in what Ukraine can bring to the partnership, that is experience gained from sustained use of unmanned systems in combat. Germany’s defence industry, in turn, can provide industrial capacity and access to European production networks, creating a model in which Ukrainian-designed or battlefield-tested technologies can be produced at greater scale.
The latest Zelenskyy-Merz call also came amid heightened concern in Germany over drone-related security threats.
Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed the attempted drone attack on the airfiled in Leipzig and told Merz that Ukraine was prepared to assist Germany with its “expertise” and “experience” in dealing with such threats. Zelenskyy also said Germany would provide new air-defence packages to Ukraine this month, while the two leaders agreed to meet in person.
