Ukraine, Norway to jointly produce drones starting in 2026
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Ukraine and Norway agreed to jointly produce drones, with the pilot production line to be launched in 2026, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 30.
Shmyhal made the announcement after signing a corresponding agreement with his Norwegian counterpart, Tore O. Sandvik.
The announcement marks deepening ties between Kyiv and Oslo as Ukraine seeks to expand its domestic defense industry amid Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion and reduced military support from the United States.
While Ukraine will share its experience and innovations, Norway will provide a "strong production base, as well as research and development cooperation with leading Norwegian institutions," the Ukrainian defense minister noted.
Drones have become an increasingly vital tool on the Ukrainian battlefields, used by both Ukraine and Russia for front-line operations and long-range strikes.
Kyiv is also in talks with the U.K. regarding the production of 2,000 interceptor drones per month, and London has pledged to fund "thousands" of long-range attack drones for Ukraine.
Shmyhal did not specify which drones Ukraine would be producing in cooperation with Norway.
In June, Oslo announced that it would donate approximately 6.7 billion Norwegian Crowns ($660 million) to the U.K.-led maritime coalition for Kyiv and help produce naval drones in Ukraine.
The Nordic country also plans to allocate $7 billion next year to boost Ukraine's defense sector.
