Overview
- The agreement, signed Monday in Kyiv by Norway’s ambassador Lars Ragnar Aalerud Hansen and Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Serhii Boiev, launches joint production of Ukrainian-designed drones in Norway.
- Norway will finance the project with new funds beyond its $7 billion in 2026 defense aid, and it plans about $1.5 billion this year to buy Ukrainian-made weapons.
- Officials expect several thousand mid-range or mid-strike drones, with the first Norway-built systems slated to reach Ukraine’s forces by summer 2026.
- All drones produced under the project will go to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reflecting a guaranteed supply line for front-line units.
- Contractor names and factory capacities remain undisclosed for security, and the deal also advances the April 14 defense partnership and the Build with Ukraine initiative with added industrial and R&D cooperation.