Ukraine prepares for first weapons export contracts by late 2026
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov (photo: Vitalii Nosach / RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine is preparing to export weapons. The first real contracts are expected no earlier than the second half of 2026, as discussed during a meeting with journalists by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and the President's Strategic Advisor Oleksandr Kamyshin, according to an RBC-Ukraine correspondent.
Also present at the meeting were Oleg Tsilvik, Acting Head of the State Export Control Service, and Ihor Fedirko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Defense Industry Association.
According to the report, part of Ukraine's defense industry will work on controlled arms exports to friendly countries. This will become a tool for self-financing the sector, enabling the maintenance of production rates, preservation of jobs, and ensuring a steady inflow of foreign currency into the defense sector.
What Ukraine will export
The first to be exported will be Ukrainian unmanned systems, including aerial, ground, and naval systems. Part of such production will operate under the Danish model, in the format of Build in Ukraine or Build with Ukraine.
This means that foreign partners will either invest directly in arms production in Ukraine or establish joint facilities on their own territory.
How the new model will work
The main idea is that excess production capacity should not remain idle. Part of the products will be supplied to the front, and part will be exported.
The received duties and taxes will be directed toward signing new contracts for the Security and Defense Forces, which will enable the strengthening of the Ukrainian army and the development of the defense economy simultaneously.
When will the first contracts appear
According to experts, the defense export market has an inertial character. The first real contracts are expected no earlier than the second half of 2026.
This is due to the need for tests, certification, and procurement procedures by partners, which require a significant amount of time.
It was also emphasized during the discussion that out of more than a thousand defense companies currently operating in Ukraine, less than half are ready to undergo the necessary technical procedures and obtain export permits.
Arms export
According to the head of state, by the end of the year, Ukraine will open platforms for arms exports to the EU, the United States, and the Middle East. Revenues from weapon sales will enable the financing of critical defense needs.
A Ukrainian delegation recently visited the United States. The parties discussed the planned purchase of Ukrainian drones and security cooperation.
More details on why Ukraine should open arms exports can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
