BLUF:
AI is creating more fully autonomous drones. New legislation on AI use will require separate codification for software, which could help boost exports and make software companies more attractive to investors.
Zelenskyy tells The Arsenal why the joint Freyja antiballistic project creating a cheaper alternative to Patriot systems will accelerate air defense coverage in Ukraine. Ukraine’s FP-7.x interceptor missile by Fire Point will be a part of the Freyja program, joined by Ukraine and nine European countries.
Russia is using EW to jam Starlink signals that are increasingly used in Ukrainian drones and weapons. The system jams connection with Starlink satellites, but its large size makes it impractical for use on the frontline.
A new AI KIT module for UGVs is being supplied to the Armed Forces. Designed by Ukrainian defense tech company Tencore to reduce operator workload, it can integrate into different platforms
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Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s former deputy minister of defense, is joining Helsing’s team as a managing director for Ukraine, the company shared with The Arsenal. Helsing is a European defense AI company with a presence in Ukraine since early 2024.
Maltiza Ivanova has joined Quantum Systems as Team Lead Drone Port. She previously worked as a Technical Product Manager with the Autonomous Driving team at BMW Group.
Myrto Prodromiti Garneli joined Alta Ares as a UAV Product Manager. The French defense-tech startup with an operational hub in Ukraine specializes in AI-powered computer vision and autonomous systems for drones.
Herman Smetanin was dismissed from his CEO position at Ukraine's largest state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom. The company is now looking for a new CEO.
DK NEJET, a Ukrainian-Latvian software-driven defense-tech group focused on FPV drone systems, has a range of open positions in Ukraine, Latvia, and Norway. The roles span various domains, including GCS assembly, flight instruction, legal consulting, financial analysis, and engineering.
Ukrainian defense technology company Vyriy Industries, which manufactures UAVs, has a number of job openings.
Quantum Systems, a major German startup that develops unmanned systems, is looking for a test pilot for aircraft-type UAVs in Ukraine.
Tulip Tech, a Dutch battery manufacturer for drones, is looking for a Logistics Coordinator in Kyiv.
Intelic, a Dutch defense software manufacturer, has job openings in Ukraine and the Netherlands.
UkrDefense builds strike drones for aerial, land, and sea targets, aiming to own the full cycle: from development and operator schools to detection and neutralization. Its fixed-wing GAARPIA interceptor is already fielded with Ukrainian forces against reconnaissance and strike UAVs. In development are the low-cost AI-guided TSUMI interceptor, launched from a mobile multi-chassis container, and AI detection and guidance co-developed with Japanese partner DefenseTech.
"We are building high-speed interceptors that stop many classes of aerial drones, with AI detection and guidance at the core. This funding completes that capability and scales us to at least 250 interceptors per month," said Oleksii Oleksiuk, CEO and co-founder of UkrDefense. The company is raising $1.5M in seed funding.
The European Commission and Ukraine have signed a defense-industrial partnership to increase the integration of European and Ukrainian defense industries. The EU–Ukraine Drone Deal was launched to deepen cooperation on drone and counter-drone technologies, and €1 billion was allocated for Ukraine's drone capabilities as part of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan.
The Ukrainian miltech company BlueBird Tech is launching mass production of its Chipa net launchers, with plans to produce up to 500 a month, the company told The Arsenal. Designed to intercept FPV drones at close range, the pistol-shaped net launcher will be available to the Armed Forces, journalists, volunteers, critical infrastructure operators, and civilians.
Chipa net launcher. Photo provided by BlueBird Tech.
Ukraine is set to purchase 16 Rafale fighter jets from France, with the first test flights expected in 2028–2029. The package includes additional radars and missiles, as well as licenses for Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles for the SAMP/T air defense systems, AASM Hammer air-to-ground bombs, and SCALP cruise missiles.
Poland will collaborate with Ukraine to produce and maintain PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems. The country has signed an agreement with the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden to establish a maintenance center for the missiles in Europe.
Ukraine and Germany signed an agreement on the joint production of Bars jet-powered strike drones within the framework of the Build with Ukraine initiative aimed at exporting Ukrainian military technologies and establishing production lines abroad.
Dropla Tech, a Danish-Ukrainian defense tech company known for its Blue Eyes Warbox AI system and Dropla Seer reconnaissance complex, has received an investment from MITS Capital to produce 3,000 UGVs per year.
The French startup Groundspace plans to test WHISPR, a Starlink satellite terminal detector with a claimed detection range of 25 kilometers, in Ukraine. It will be used to identify Russian reconnaissance and kamikaze drones equipped with Starlink or similar satellite systems.
Trinity Robotics, a Ukrainian developer of UGVs, has announced a strategic partnership with Swedish investors Front Ventures and Hede Capital to scale up production of its Konyk ONE UGVs from 70 to 150 per month. Konyk ONE can be controlled from a distance of up to 12 km and travel 45 km with a full payload of up to 300 kg on a single charge, according to the company.
