Germany begins production of 5,000 long-range drones for Kyiv, media reports
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Production has officially begun on over 5,000 medium- and long-range drones for Ukraine through a joint German-Ukrainian venture, the German news outlet Handelsblatt reported on Sept 3.
The 300 million euro ($349 million) deal is set to be completed by mid-2027, as reported by Handelsblatt. The joint venture was established between the German-American defense company Auterion and the Ukrainian drone producer Airlogix in February 2026 at the Munich Security Conference.
Auterion will oversee the drones' software and operating systems, while Airlogix will produce the physical components. The drones will also reportedly use AI systems to counter electronic disruption attempts by Russian defenses.
"Germany now has a production line for affordable precision weapons in large quantities," Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier told Handelsblatt. "We will deliver tried and tested systems this year — at costs and production speeds that actually make large stockpiles for deterrence possible."
Two drone models will be produced; one used for medium-range flights and one with a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles).
"This partnership brings together what neither company could achieve alone: our battle-proven missiles, Auterion's autonomous software and Germany's industrial capabilities," Airlogix CEO Vitalii Kolesnichenko told Handelsblatt.
Over the last year, Germany has become one of the leading providers of aid to Kyiv and a leading partner in Ukraine’s growing defense tech industry.
In May, Berlin and Kyiv launched "Brave Germany," a joint initiative to advance defense technologies and support innovative startups. Backed by Ukraine's Brave1 defense-tech platform, the project will provide grants to Ukrainian and German companies operating in the defense sector.
The Airlogix-Auterion announcement comes as Ukraine increasingly uses long-range drones to strike Russian military and energy infrastructure far behind the front lines.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Aug. 28 that Ukraine should significantly increase the frequency of its long-range drone strikes against Russia, setting a goal of launching 1,000 such drones a day. With more drones being fired from Ukraine, Zelensky said on Sept. 1 that Russian airspace "will be de facto closed."
In response to Zelensky’s warning, Moscow airports began canceling flights.
