The Belgian company Thales has signed a memorandum with a Ukrainian defence company to jointly produce missiles that will be used to defend against Russian drones. This was announced by Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
The agreement provides not only for the joint production of missiles, but also for the possible further expansion of cooperation in the transfer of technologies and components for missile systems.
According to Smetanin, this partnership will significantly enhance Ukraine’s defence capabilities and protect critical infrastructure from drone attacks.
Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said that the Ukrainian industry has already received $4 billion in investments, and further funding is planned for 2025, in particular for the development of domestic drones and long-range missiles.
This year, Ukraine has started issuing grants for the development of rocketry, and next year it plans to finance the creation of powder factories.
According to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, over the past two and a half years, more than 200 companies developing ground-based robotic platforms, about 500 drone manufacturers, and more than 100 companies specialising in electronic warfare (EW) have emerged in Ukraine.
