Battle-tested Ukrainian weapons are about to hit the global arms market for the first time

• Ukraine’s defense industry is exploding but allies have been unable to get gear tested against Russia.
• That’s set to change, as Zelenskyy said the program for controlled exports must start next month.
• Industry says that being able to sell abroad would help Ukraine get more weapons for its fight, too.

Ukraine is moving closer to exporting its battle-tested weaponry for the first time.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the country’s program for the controlled exports of domestically manufactured weaponry should start in November.

Ukraine effectively froze the ability of any company making weaponry to export its tech after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, making the country’s own defense the priority. However, Ukraine’s defense industry has undergone massive growth. The export restrictions are now hamstringing industries.

In a shift, Ukraine has been making plans for how it could export to partner nations, which would allow companies to scale up production beyond the limitations of Ukraine’s defense budget. Key to this project, Ukrainian leadership has said, will be ensuring Ukraine’s defense is unaffected, that Russia doesn’t acquire Ukrainian tech, and that exports go only to countries that have supported it against Russia.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy did not elaborate on what kind of weapons Ukraine would export, but he has previously pointed to some kinds of drones as an area where Ukraine has a surplus ready to export.

They were also identified this month by Brave1, a Ukrainian government-backed body aimed at accelerating military technology, as systems that were ready to be sold abroad. It identified ground drones, drone software, and naval drones as products made by Ukraine that are export options.

Motivated by wartime necessity, Ukraine’s defense industry has boomed, with companies making drones, artillery, missiles, and other equipment. Zelenskyy said that more than 40% of the weapons used on the front line are Ukrainian-made. He said that needs to be 50% by the end of the year.

Many in Ukraine’s defense industry have long pushed for the ability to export, arguing that it would solve a problem that Ukrainian officials have acknowledged as well: The country’s defense companies are able to make far more weaponry than Ukraine’s defense ministry can buy.

Serhiy Goncharov, the CEO of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI), said that the export revenue would allow producers to increase production, improve efficiency, and also lower costs, putting them in a better position to support Ukraine. Increased revenue could also be allocated to research and testing for new innovations, he said.

He told Business Insider previously “the export of some part of military production wouldn’t harm the defense of Ukraine.” Instead, “it would increase the potential of the defense of Ukraine.”

Some Ukrainian companies have said they are ready to start selling abroad as soon as they are allowed and have promoted their equipment in other countries in preparation, saying they have seen notable demand.

Demand for drones

Drones have been used more in this war than in any other conflict in history. They are used to survey the battlefield, collect key intelligence, and launch attacks on soldiers and weaponry, including some systems worth millions.

The war has made Ukraine a leader in drone technology, with hundreds of companies making them, ranging from small outfits in garages to massive operations. Most of the drones it uses are made domestically. It said more than 96% of the 1.5 million drones it bought last year were of Ukrainian origin.

Ukraine has made major advancements in ground robots and naval drone technology, systems that have risen to greater prominence in the war in Ukraine. The country’s ground robots execute one-way attacks, fire heavy weapons, lay mines, and evacuate injured troops. And the naval drones have menaced Black Sea Fleet ships and engaged Russian aircraft with surface-to-air missiles. Many of these naval drone innovations are new to combat.

Zelenskyy said last month that funds from selling naval drones and other weaponry could be funneled into buying additional aerial drones for Ukraine as demand continues to soar. That would seem to indicate that aerial drones might not be suitable for export, but the Ukrainian president has suggested that these systems could be possible exports. Whether these hit the global market remains to be seen.

Partner nations are paying close attention to the war, concerned about further Russian aggression, and seeking to learn what works in modern war. Part of the response has been the development of drones and counter-drone tech.

It’s not yet clear which countries would buy Ukrainian weaponry like drones if they were made available, but Western nations have praised Ukrainian innovations. Zelenskyy said last month Ukraine had offers from partners nations but did not provide any details, including which countries were involved.

Ukraine’s partners may not need to rely on drones as much as it has, given their larger and better-stocked militaries, but they are still investing in the tech.

NATO member Denmark is one partner nation that has praised Ukraine’s defense innovation, and it says it wants access to Ukrainian tech amid rising concern about Russia. Western companies are also moving into Ukraine and partnering with its defense industry, which not only helps Ukraine produce but also helps Western companies learn from Ukraine’s experience.

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