French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, made a surprising statement regarding the future of military support for Ukraine: as part of international cooperation, a true technological breakthrough will take place — French automotive and defense companies will initiate the production of unmanned aerial vehicles directly on Ukrainian territory
This step, initially focused on creating a local production base for drones intended to meet the needs of the Ukrainian military, also has the potential for application within the French armed forces. According to Lecornu, this initiative is a "mutually beneficial partnership" aimed at strengthening defense cooperation between Kyiv and Paris. The minister emphasized that French automotive and defense enterprises will join forces with a Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprise to establish production lines on Ukrainian soil for manufacturing cutting-edge drones. However, he did not specify the model or type of unmanned aircraft, instead highlighting that they will be used to support the Ukrainian army in its fight against the Russian aggressor. Lecornu also underlined that these drones will have dual use — they can be employed by French military units as well. This is important for ongoing tactical and operational personnel training, which needs to be as adaptable as possible to the realities of the war in Ukraine. The minister expressed confidence that Ukrainians possess the ideas and experience in developing and shaping doctrines for drone application, and that their contribution to this project is invaluable. It is worth recalling that this initiative is part of a broader military-technical cooperation package between Kyiv and Europe. Thus, on June 5 in Brussels, during a meeting of Ukraine and France’s defense ministers, options for joint weapons production for the Ukrainian army were discussed. Additionally, within the framework of the 28th "Rammstein" format meeting held at NATO headquarters, the sides agreed to establish a mechanism for producing defense equipment and weapons, which aims to ensure greater independence for Ukraine in the military sphere. These steps are part of a wider strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities and to develop local manufacturing chains, allowing the country to become less dependent on imports of weapons and resources. France, which traditionally plays an active role in international support for Ukraine, is investing significant diplomatic and technical resources into creating a comprehensive defense cooperation system — shifting the approach from merely supplying weapons to establishing full production chains within the country. Therefore, launching drone production in Ukraine is not only a technological breakthrough but also an important element of the strategic integration of Ukrainian industry into European defense standards. This will enable Ukraine to respond swiftly to the challenges of modern warfare and provide additional potential for defending its independence and territorial integrity in the future.