Ukraine and France have signed a letter of intent to begin joint weapons production, the Ukrainian defence minister announced on Monday. Mykhailo Fedorov said the agreement paves the way for “large-scale joint projects in the defence-industrial sector” after hosting French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin in Kyiv. No details were given on specific arms or timelines.
The two countries also discussed new shipments of French weapons, including Aster missiles, Mirage 2000 fighter jets and SAMP-T air defence systems. Fedorov said the move marks a shift “from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions”.
Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine will open exports of domestically produced weapons, including combat drones, to generate funds. Ten “export centres” are planned across Europe by 2026, with Zelenskyy stating that “Europe’s security is built on technology and drones” and will rely heavily on Ukrainian expertise.
Russian attacks damaged production sites of state-run energy company Naftogaz in the Poltava and Sumy regions for the second consecutive day, CEO Sergii Koretskyi said. He noted it was the 20th attack on the company’s infrastructure this year.
Russia’s military is seeking alternatives to Starlink satellite internet after access was curtailed, disrupting illicit use on the battlefield. Ukraine said terminals used by Russian troops were deactivated after talks between its defence minister and Elon Musk.
In other developments, Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was told by the International Olympic Committee that his helmet featuring images of war dead violates political statement rules and cannot be used at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The EU has proposed extending sanctions against Russia to include ports in Georgia and Indonesia handling Russian oil, while Russia’s foreign minister expressed pessimism about economic ties with the US.
