Sweden will cooperate with Ukraine in the field of space technology development for defense needs. It was discussed during the negotiations of the Ukrainian and Swedish delegations at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side presented the main achievements in the field of digitization, an important component of which is the implementation and implementation of space policy and strategy in the defense sector. In particular, it was announced that the Department of Space Policy of the Ministry of Defense would be established in March 2025. They also announced the main needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in this area, which can be realized in cooperation with international partners.
“We have a great legacy in the space sphere, which we are modernizing and relaunching taking into account modern requirements. We are also attracting foreign partners who have greater experience and capabilities in the field of military space. We are ready to share our own experiences gained during hostilities.” – said during the negotiations, the head of the space policy department in the field of defense, Major Oleksandr Gavrutenko.
He noted that Ukraine in the military space sector will focus on processing large volumes of data received, in particular, from partners, and not on scaling up its own equipment.
“Space is an important space for our Defense Forces. Satellites will give us permanent communications for the military, our own capabilities for intelligence and the ability to save the lives of our people through early warning of threats. That is why this area is now a priority for the Ministry of Defense.” – added Kateryna Chernogorenko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine for Digitalization.
In turn, the head of the Swedish delegation, the director of the air and space systems department of the Agency for Material and Technical Support of the Kingdom of Sweden, Lars Helmrich, noted that Sweden is interested in cooperation with Ukraine in the development of space technologies, taking into account the Ukrainian experience of conducting modern warfare. In addition, the country is ready to promote interaction with other partners, in particular with the Nordic states: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland.
“I can say from my own experience that the space sphere is developing very dynamically. Therefore, you need to be ready for flexibility and adaptability even in matters of strategy”, – concluded Lars Helmrich.
