Defense Tech

The Netherlands has adopted a pragmatic approach to supporting Ukraine—buying weapons wherever they are available, investing directly in Ukrainian manufacturers, and favoring an “80% solution today” over a “100% solution tomorrow.” 

Molniya drones can fly up to 30 kilometers, putting most of the front line’s kill zone within reach. Cheap enough to be launched in under 50,000 every day, they have become a relentless presence over the battlefield. Few outside the front notice them, yet no military has ever faced such a constant drone threat at this scale.

Ukraine’s ambitious plan to acquire up to 150 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden could soon become a three-country project. While Stockholm would supply the aircraft, Canada may play a critical role by assembling Gripens for Ukraine, creating a defense partnership that stretches from Scandinavia to North America.

In a rare dyadic interview with UNITED24 Media, Germany’s Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, and Ukraine's Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, shared their insights on defense cooperation between the two nations. 

Ukraine has emerged as a leader in modern warfare, with its defense industry rapidly evolving under pressure. Production has surged fiftyfold since Russia’s full-scale war. Now Kyiv is ready to export battle-tested weapons and expertise to its trusted partners.

In just a few years, Ukraine’s drones have gone from improvisation to striking Russia’s oil refineries 1,500 kilometers away, destroying tens of billions of dollars’ worth of enemy and killing hundreds of thousands of invading troops. Some “housewives,” indeed.