We are talking about the manufacture of several thousand mid-strike drones in Norway – all products will be transferred to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The first drones will arrive by the summer. Norway has already provided $7 billion in defense assistance to Ukraine in 2026.
Ukraine, together with Norway, is launching the first joint project for the production of Ukrainian drones, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports, the PromPolitInform portal informs.
The corresponding agreement was signed in Kyiv by the Ambassador of Norway to Ukraine Lars Ragnar Aalerud Hansen and Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine for European Integration Sergey Boev. The project will be financed by the Norwegian side – at the expense of additional funds, $7 billion of defense assistance to Ukraine in 2026 has already been provided.
These drones can hit targets at a distance of 50-200 kilometers. The cooperation envisages not only the production, but also the development of a wider industrial partnership, including research and scaling of Ukrainian technologies that have already proved effective on the battlefield.
Separately, Norway in 2026 plans to send more than $1.5 billion for the purchase of Ukrainian weapons for the needs of the Defense Forces.
Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov stressed that this format of cooperation directly strengthens combat capabilities:
“This is a partnership where both sides benefit: Norway gets access to proven technologies, and Ukraine gets the necessary drones to intercept the initiative at the front.”
It is expected that the first drones made in Norway will arrive to the Ukrainian military by the summer.
Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Onshuus Sandvik stressed that support for Ukraine is a key element of his country’s security, and this project at the same time strengthens the Norwegian defense industry and creates an opportunity for Ukraine to produce equipment in safer conditions.
Ukraine considers such joint technological and industrial initiatives as one of the priority areas for the development of the defense sector and deepening cooperation with partners.
Ukraine invests $30 billion in the defense industry, but the military-industrial complex is ready to double production volumes, reaching $60 billion.
Photo – AI generated
