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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that his country will begin exporting domestically produced weapons, lifting a restriction introduced when Kyiv declared martial law.

“We decided to open our arms exports. These are powerful systems tested in real war,” Zelenskyy said at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants to show its partners that Ukrainian weapons are “reliable and modern.”

“You don’t have to start from scratch, we’re ready to share what’s already proven effective in real-world defence,” he said.

The export of Ukraine’s domestic weapons has been heavily restricted since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a result of the 2022 martial law declaration, with everything rolling off the production line diverted to the war effort.

Ukrainian arms producers have been asking Zelenskyy for months to lift the restrictions on selling their domestically produced military-grade equipment, particularly drones, as a way to generate more money.

And with the furore surrounding the latest airspace violations into Poland and Estonia, allegedly from Russia, the decision couldn’t have been timed better.

‘The most destructive arms race in human history’

Weapons are evolving faster than our ability to defend ourselves, Zelenskyy said in his speech to the UN.

“Now, there are tens of thousands of people who know how to professionally kill using drones,” he said.

“Stopping that kind of attack is harder than stopping any gun, knife or bomb, this is what Russia has brought with its war,” Zelenskyy stated.

“It used to be that only the strongest countries could use drones because they were expensive and complex, now even simple drones can fly thousands of kilometres.”

Ukraine’s defence industry and its drone sector in particular have exploded since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, representing an upgrade on its previous Soviet-era military hardware.

According to the most recent reports, Ukraine is now producing over 4 million drones annually, but has the potential to double that number with sufficient funding.

Approximately 800 arms producers are currently operating in Ukraine, with more than 200 of them producing drones.

In most cases, these are adaptable and affordable systems which have reshaped modern warfare.

Speaking at the UNGA Zelenskyy said, “19 simple Russian drones violated Polish airspace, only four were shot down.”

“Luckily they were not (Tehran-designed) Shaheds, otherwise the results would have been horrific.”

What weaponry will Ukraine export?

Ukraine has drawn up preliminary proposals for what Kyiv has defined as the “controlled export” of weapons, particularly sea drones, Zelenskyy said recently.

“The security of sea routes is an integral part of overall security and many nations depend on it. Ukraine offers all its reliable partners our developments, which have helped us in the Black Sea. We are counting on strong contracts,” he explained.

Kyiv’s naval drone fleet has been expanding in recent years, and Ukrainian sea drones have proven effective in inflicting heavy losses on Russia’s military sites and ships in the Black Sea, such as the Magura-V5 drones, which have been used to target the Russian fleet. 

More recently, Kyiv unveiled the new Toloka underwater drone system, which can carry a payload of 5,000 kilograms and reach targets located up to 2,000 kilometres away. 

In May, Ukrainian defence manufacturers issued a public letter to Zelenskyy, asking him to lift export restrictions on domestically produced military-grade equipment, particularly drones, to help the sector grow and integrate better into Europe’s security architecture.

 “It is time to demonstrate that Ukraine is capable of being not only a party that receives international support, but also a full-fledged partner that exports security through cooperation, technology, and its own experience,” the letter read.

“As Europe grapples with transatlantic uncertainty and armed conflicts escalate worldwide, our strategic partners are actively seeking to strengthen their defence capabilities through innovative and affordable technological solutions,” the manufacturers explained.

“And here, Ukraine holds a unique advantage. Our defence industry — evolving under constant battlefield conditions — is already producing the technologies the world is looking for.”

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Zelenskyy’s advisor for strategic issues, stated that Ukraine’s defence industry was capable of producing up to €17 billion in equipment in 2024, but the government could only produce around half of that amount.

In an interview with Euronews in February, then-Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin said that all Ukrainian producers are capable of increasing output and production, but lack the funds and a commitment from partners to secure long-term funding.

Export revenue is seen as a way to finance growth and attract foreign investment, while still keeping domestic defence a top priority.

Which countries will buy Ukrainian weapons?

First and foremost, Ukraine will begin exporting defence technologies and open weapons production lines in partner countries, Zelenskyy explained.

“The concept for three new export platforms: one for export and partnership with America, another for Europeans, and a third for global partners who have supported Ukraine in certain ways. It’s vital they also assist us so we can support them,” he explained.

In July, Zelenskyy said he’d reached a deal with US President Donald Trump on the sale of Ukrainian drones to the US, with the contract estimated to be worth between $10 billion and $30 billion (€8.5bn and €25bn).

Kyiv also signed a significant deal with US company Swift Beat to co-produce hundreds of thousands of drones this year. 

Meanwhile in May, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin would seek to help Kyiv jointly develop new long-range weapons that can strike deeper inside Russia as a new €5 billion aid package was agreed.

Heralding the beginning of a “new form of military industrial cooperation between our two countries,” Merz said that Germany and Ukraine would seek to “enable joint production” of weapons.

Wrapping up his comments at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had no choice but to build drones “to protect our right to life.”

“The facts are simple, stopping this war now and within the global arms race is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he said.