Ukraine Plans Controlled Domestic Weapons Exports Starting November

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will begin a controlled export program for domestically produced weapons starting in November 2025, aiming to sell surplus arms to countries such as the United States and European partners. This marks a significant shift as Ukraine had banned military exports since 2022 to prioritize its own defense, but the expansion of its defense industry, especially drone production, now enables this controlled approach. Zelenskyy stressed that by the end of 2025, over 50% of the weapons used by Ukraine’s armed forces should be produced domestically. The export revenues are intended to finance the production of critical and scarce military equipment, including FPV drones, interceptor drones, and long-range strike drones. The government plans a transparent, government-supervised export process to ensure domestic defense needs remain prioritized while supporting Ukraine’s military and defense sector growth. This initiative comes amid ongoing efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s self-reliance in defense during the conflict with Russia.