Kubilius opened the first meeting of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance Council
Ukraine and the European Union have launched practical cooperation in the development and production of unmanned systems. On September 11, the inaugural meeting of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance Council was held in Brussels, with 18 defense companies selected to participate.
The meeting was opened by European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius.
Also participating were the leaders of the Coalition for Drone Capabilities and Counter-Drone Capabilities (Decoder) and the “Eastern Flank Watch” initiative.
“This is a very special moment—I would even say historic. Today marks the first meeting of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance Council. This is an entirely new experience for all of us,” Kubilius said.
According to the European Commissioner, approximately 400 applications were received for participation in the first Alliance Council.
After a rigorous selection process, 18 companies were accepted into the new alliance—nine from Ukraine and nine from EU member states.
Kubilius identified the Alliance’s main goal as the joint development of European capabilities in the field of drones and counter-drone systems, as well as leveraging Ukraine’s practical experience gained during a full-scale war.
“Europe must learn to wage drone wars as a unified whole and learn from Ukraine. In a sense, this Alliance could become a kind of academy for Ukrainian wartime experience,” the European Commissioner noted.
Kubilius emphasized that European countries need to adopt from Ukraine not only drone manufacturing technologies but also the ability to quickly adapt products, shorten development cycles, and rapidly increase production capacity.
At the same time, the EU can offer Ukraine cutting-edge defense technologies and continent-wide manufacturing capabilities.
Among the Alliance’s main tasks, the European Commissioner cited:
- accelerating the creation of joint ventures between Ukrainian and European companies;
- opening new supply chains;
- expanding access to testing facilities;
- resolving issues related to certification, components, and intellectual property;
- overcoming the shortage of skilled workers.
According to the plan, the Alliance is intended to be not just a forum for discussion, but a body that will make decisions and develop concrete joint initiatives.
“The security environment will not wait for us. The first tangible results should appear by the end of this year,” Kubilius said.
Earlier, the European Union and Ukraine agreed on the Drone Deal. The document is intended to establish a coordinated framework for cooperation between the parties to coordinate and support the drone agreements that Kyiv has concluded with several EU countries.
Cooperation in the field of drone technology is also actively developing at the bilateral level.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the finalization of a Drone Deal with Germany. Prior to that, Ukraine had already signed a similar agreement with Norway.
The creation of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance is set to become the next step in deepening defense-industrial cooperation and the joint development of drone technologies.
This was reported by “European Truth.”
UFORCE, the Ukrainian manufacturer of MAGURA marine drones, has been selected as one of the Ukrainian founding companies of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance. The alliance aims to combine battle-tested Ukrainian innovations with Europe’s industrial capabilities to rapidly scale up production and expand the defense sector.
U.S. special forces used Ukrainian Magura maritime drones for the first time during exercises in the Philippines. During the tests, the drone successfully struck and sank a target vessel.
Romania reported that Ukraine had lost control of four maritime drones.
