Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on July 5 that he has signed new agreements with international partners to ramp up joint weapons production including long-range missiles and interceptor drones, as Russian strikes persist.
“We are scaling up joint arms production with our partners: long-range weapons to reduce Russia’s appetite for killing, and interceptor drones to protect our people,” Zelenskyy said in a video address.
He said a new deal was reached this week with Swift Beat LLC, a private US company to manufacture drones. The company operates independently of the US government and is backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Swift Beat has an established presence in Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy’s office. The company specialises in autonomous, AI-powered drones and collaborates closely with Ukrainian engineers and the military, carrying out drone testing directly on Ukrainian soil, according to official sources cited by the Kyiv Independent.
Zelenskyy previously said the new partnership would help significantly scale up the production of various types of drones and missiles including quadcopters used for reconnaissance and fire adjustment, as well as long-range strike drones.
Another agreement was signed with Denmark for the first foreign coproduction of weapons for Ukraine.
“We are grateful to everyone who stands with our state and people, supports Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and strengthens their own defence capabilities,” the Ukrainian President said.
Key weapons shipments
The announcement comes as Ukraine continues efforts to secure more weapons and expand domestic production amid Russia’s war, now in its fourth year.
On July 1, the United States, Ukraine's biggest military backer since the launch of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, said it was halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine, prompting European allies to step up efforts to fill the gap.
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair a meeting next week with other European leaders to strengthen Ukraine’s defences, the Elysee Palace announced on July 4.
The talks, set for July 10 and held via video link, will focus on sustaining Ukraine’s combat capabilities amid ongoing Russian aggression.
"There will certainly be a discussion on how to seriously maintain Ukraine's combat capability," the Elysee Palace said.
