Ukraine war briefing: France to start making weapons with Kyiv

"Mykhailo Fedorov said the two countries signed a letter of intent paving the way for large-scale joint projects in the defence-industrial sector. He did not specify what arms would be produced with France or when manufacturing would start. We are moving from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions that systematically strengthen our defence, Fedorov said on Telegram after the meeting with France's armed forces minister, Catherine Vautrin, in the Ukrainian capital."

"Ukraine is opening up exports of its domestically produced weapons, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a way for Kyiv to cash in on its wartime technological advances to generate badly needed funds. He said 10 export centres for Ukrainian weapons would be opened in 2026 across Europe, adding that combat drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), would be among the exports. Today, Europe's security is built on technology and drones, Zelenskyy said. All of this will be based largely on Ukrainian technology and Ukrainian specialists."

Ukraine and France signed a letter of intent to start joint weapons production and enable large-scale defence-industrial projects. No specific weapon types or timelines were specified for manufacturing. The countries discussed new shipments of French Aster missiles, Mirage 2000 fighter jets and SAMP-T air defence systems to Kyiv. Ukraine plans to open 10 export centres across Europe in 2026 to sell domestically produced weapons, including combat drones (UAVs), to generate revenue from wartime technological advances. Russian attacks damaged Naftogaz production sites in Poltava and Sumy, marking the 20th infrastructure attack this year. Russia's military is seeking alternatives to Starlink after curtailed access disrupted battlefield communications.

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