Ukraine to Launch Global Arms Sales in November, Starting With Combat-Tested Drones

Ukraine will begin exporting domestically produced weapons next month under a newly established controlled export program, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a government meeting on October 28.

The initiative marks the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion that Ukraine will resume arms exports, focusing on equipment produced in surplus, such as naval drones.

“The program of controlled exports of our weapons must be launched already in November,” Zelenskyy said, according to the President’s Office. He emphasized that by the end of the year, Ukraine aims to have over half of its defense needs supplied by locally manufactured weapons.

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The President directed Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal to ensure full execution of production and delivery goals for several key categories of drones—FPV units, interceptor drones, and long-range “deep-strike” systems—by year-end.

Ukraine banned the export of all military-related goods in 2022 to prioritize equipping its own armed forces. However, discussions on easing restrictions began last year as domestic arms production expanded rapidly—particularly in drone manufacturing and electronic warfare systems.

Kyiv’s new export framework aims to establish a transparent, government-supervised process for selling weapons abroad while ensuring Ukraine’s defense requirements remain the top priority.

Earlier in May, Forbes Ukraine reported that Kyiv was preparing to lift its long-standing ban on weapons exports as the country’s defense industry expanded rapidly. The proposed models aimed to balance global sales with domestic supply needs, ensuring that export revenues would support Ukraine’s Armed Forces and strengthen the national defense sector.

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