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Germany to Build Ukraine’s Long-Range BARS Strike Drones on Its Own Soil
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Ukraine and Germany have signed an implementation agreement to jointly produce Ukrainian-designed BARS jet-powered strike drones, with Germany financing the initial production phase and all completed systems destined for Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
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The agreement was signed on July 8 by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara as part of the “Build with Ukraine ” initiative, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and statements published by Sybiha.
Together with German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, we signed an implementation agreement for the joint production of BARS drones.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) July 8, 2026
The agreement was concluded following joint efforts by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the German Federal Ministry of Defence… pic.twitter.com/eraZXnxbXU
According to Sybiha, the agreement is the result of cooperation between Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defense under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative, which aims to expand production of Ukrainian defense technologies through manufacturing facilities abroad.
“The agreement was concluded as a result of the joint work of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Federal Ministry of Defense of Germany within the Build with Ukraine initiative,” Sybiha wrote on X.
Germany will finance production during the first stage of the project, while every drone produced under the agreement will be delivered to Ukraine’s Defense Forces, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
Although officials did not disclose technical specifications, Ukrainian defense reporting has previously identified BARS as a domestically developed jet-powered strike drone designed for long-range attacks against military targets deep inside Russia. The system has reportedly already been used in operations, including strikes targeting military facilities in Moscow.
The existence of the BARS program first became public in April 2025, when then-Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin listed it among Ukraine’s new missile-drone projects without revealing its capabilities.
Earlier, Ukraine announced plans to expand its Drone Deal initiative after signing defense cooperation agreements with six countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. The program allows partner nations to access Ukraine’s combat-tested drone technologies, production expertise, and operational know-how while supporting joint manufacturing and air defense capabilities.
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