Ukraine Signs Drone Deal With Finland

Kyiv has signed a drone deal with Helsinki, the latest in a series of agreements Ukraine has made to export its technical expertise, which in turn allows the country to develop its defense industrial base.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, along with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, where he praised both European leaders for their support for Kyiv.

Following the meeting, Zelenskyy said in a post on X that he and Stubb “signed a Drone Deal – an important step for the joint protection of our people and an even stronger partnership between our countries.”

Separately, Stubb remarked that the agreement takes Finland and Ukraine’s defense cooperation “to the next level.”

Stubb said the deal enables the joint production of defense materiel, adding that Finland’s defense sector was ready to engage in the joint effort with Kyiv.

“Ukraine needs all our support in its fight,” the Finnish president said. “At the same time, the cooperation is mutually beneficial. By learning from Ukraine’s experience, we are strengthening our own capabilities.”

It follows an earlier agreement Ukraine signed with Germany, and deals it made with around 10 other countries. It also has a deal with the European Union to produce drones and develop counter-drone technology by the end of 2026, and joint anti-ballistic missile technology by 2028.

Kyiv has significantly advanced the development and deployment of drone technology—which has become critical on the battlefield for both sides in the Ukraine–Russia war—and has begun to export its expertise.

The “Drone Deal” is a 10-year flexible agreement that sees Kyiv cooperate with international partners on developing bespoke defense and security solutions, including air defense development, training programs, and drone technologies.

According to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDCU), these long-term agreements create additional revenue, help provide stable financing for research and development, create new jobs, and help modernize the Ukrainian defense industry.

“Ukraine exports technologies that have been tested and proven in real combat conditions, shares military experience and expertise, and gains opportunities to scale its achievements together with its partners,” the NSDCU said.

Drone Deal

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, Zelenskyy said he had also signed a security agreement with Australia that includes drone technology. He added that he was also in the process of preparing drone deals with Canada and other countries.

“We are already working with partners in the Gulf, the South Caucasus, and across Europe through Drone Deals,” he said.

The Ukrainian president added that his country produces a wide range of conventional weapons, positioning itself as a manufacturer for defense materiel for the global market.

Project Freyja

One such defense development project is Project Freyja, a cross-European initiative led by Kyiv to develop an anti-ballistic missile system.

Addressing diplomatic mission heads in Kyiv last month, Zelenskyy said that Project Freyja could become Europe’s common integrated defense system.

“This is our anti-ballistic project—one of the most ambitious ideas of Ukraine,” he said on Aug. 3.

While Ukraine was capable of making the missile and launcher itself, it needs cooperation from European partners to develop the radars, sensors, and other necessary components and technologies for the anti-ballistic system.

“We’re trying to squeeze a program that usually takes 20 or 30 years into a matter of a couple of years,” Terekh said.