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Ukraine opens doors to foreign firms for military equipment modernization

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Ukraine opens doors to foreign firms for military equipment modernization
Ukrainian troops cover their ears while firing an M777 howitzer near Bakhmut on May 17, 2023, in Donetsk Oblast. (Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Ukraine's government has approved a measure allowing foreign companies to participate in modernizing military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 13.

The initiative focuses on upgrading state aviation aircraft, ships, and their components using advanced Western technologies.

The decision aims to foster joint high-tech projects with international partners while adhering to global standards and ensuring transparent cooperation. This move also aligns with Ukraine's push to expand its defense production capabilities amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Foreign firms with special permits for transferring military technology and exporting defense-related goods and services will now be eligible to collaborate, according to Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Anatolii Klochko.

"Modernizing outdated equipment will significantly enhance its efficiency, leveraging high-tech solutions from foreign partners," Klochko said.

Ukraine allocated Hr 55 billion ($1.3 billion) for weapons production in its 2025 budget, Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin announced on Nov. 12, 2024.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has actively sought to modernize its defense infrastructure, with an emphasis on integrating Western technologies to bolster its military efficiency and resilience.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations and the European Studies program at Lazarski University, offered in partnership with Coventry University. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa in 2022. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half with the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor. Tim is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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