Signing of agreement to build Ukrainian drones in Norway

The ministries of defence of Norway and Ukraine have now signed the agreement for the first Norwegian-Ukrainian project Build with Ukraine. The agreement paves the way for joint production of Ukrainian drones in Norway and was signed in Kyiv by Norway’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Lars Ragnar Aalerud Hansen, and the Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Sergiy Boyev.

Benefits both countries

The Ukrainian manufacturer has informed the Norwegian Ministry of Defence that it expects to deliver the first Norwegian-produced systems to Ukraine before the summer.

–  Supporting Ukraine’s defence struggle is the most important thing we are doing for Norway’s security. This is a collaboration that benefits both countries. I am very pleased that we are delivering quickly on the ambition set out in the drone strategy presented in December last year, and that we are following up on the joint statement signed by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy earlier this week. This is an important and concrete step towards deeper Norwegian-Ukrainian cooperation, strengthening Norway’s defence industry while providing much-needed relief for Ukraine, enabling them to produce drones in safe surroundings in Norway, says the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Tore O. Sandvik.

–  I would like to thank Norway for its consistent support and for focusing on the capabilities that Ukraine critically needs. This year, Norway is allocating more than $1.5 billion for Ukrainian-made weapons for our Defence Forces. Projects like Build in Ukraine, Build with Ukraine and the basic guaranteed drone supply for brigades directly strengthen our forces on the battlefield. Norway will gain the ability to produce technologies that have proven their effectiveness in combat, while Ukraine will receive the drones needed to regain the initiative on the battlefield. This is a true win-win partnership, says Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov.

Creates opportunities

The agreement also facilitates bilateral industrial cooperation, focusing on strengthening supply chains and establishing joint research and development collaboration to further develop the product together with Norway.

– The expertise gained from this project can be used to develop Norwegian concepts and increase Norway’s production capacity in a highly critical area, says Sandvik.

The agreement is structured to allow the cooperation to be expanded to include other products and development projects in the future. In this way, it creates opportunities for Norwegian expertise and the Norwegian defence industry to connect with the Ukrainian supplier.

The agreement was signed today and underpins the joint declaration signed by the Norwegian Prime Minister Støre and president Zelenskyy last week. The involved actors are making progress with the work. For security reasons and to protect sensitive information, the specific companies involved and the exact capacity will not be disclosed at this time.