Zelensky orders Ukraine to begin export of controlled arms next month
President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Oct. 28 to launch the "controlled export" of Ukrainian weapons abroad beginning in November 2025, the president announced on social media.
"Ukrainian Minister of Defence (Denys Shmyhal) must, by the end of the year, ensure full completion of tasks for the production and delivery of drones — FPV drones, interceptor drones, and drones for deep-strike missions," Zelensky wrote.
"The controlled export program for our weapons should be launched next month," he added.
Zelensky announced on June 21 that Kyiv would soon begin exporting defense technologies and opening weapons production lines in partner countries as part of a broader effort to internationalize the country's arms production, as Ukraine's drone production capacity outpaces its financing.
Ukraine's defense sector — and its drone industry in particular — has exploded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. More than 200 drone companies have emerged, many producing cheap, adaptable systems that have reshaped modern warfare.
In recent months, Zelensky has shown willingness to liberalize the process for the export of Ukraine's domestic weapons, which is currently heavily restricted, requiring hard-to-obtain permits from the State Export Service. In May, Ukrainian defense manufacturers issued a public letter to Zelensky urging him to lift export restrictions on domestically produced military-grade equipment, particularly drones.
Under the proposed system, Ukraine will export military equipment it holds in surplus to countries beyond the U.S., and will spend the profits on urgently needed weapons, such as interceptor drones.
Ukraine intends to make export deals with countries in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Zelensky previously said, adding that proposals had already been received by several African nations and that Kyiv had already decided which country would be its first partner.
Francis Farrell
Zelensky has also said that Ukraine plans to expand its purchases of U.S. arms under NATO'S PURL program in October and is also looking to export its domestically produced weapons.
Despite in-depth discussions on a proposed "Mega Deal" — a major agreement on the purchase of American weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, — and a "Drone Deal," to sell Ukrainian unmanned systems to the U.S., both Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump did not reach an agreement during their most recent Oval Office meeting.
While Trump did not commit to providing Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, the U.S. president did signal his openness to a weapons deal with Kyiv that could involve U.S.-made missiles and Ukrainian drones.
Yuliia Taradiuk
