Long-range drones for Ukraine
German-Ukrainian joint ventures launch production in Germany of drones that will reach 1,500 km – deep into the Russian hinterland. Moscow hints at targeting the factories.
BERLIN/KIEV/MOSCOW (our own report) – The huge expansion of drone production in Germany and other Western European countries for use by the Ukrainian military has triggered Russian threats against the sites. Several German companies announced last week new agreements to establish joint ventures with Ukrainian drone manufacturers. Among others, a German software start-up, Auterion, plans to make drones with a range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres at a plant near Munich in collaboration with the Ukrainian firm Airlogix. These weapons will enable strikes deep within Russian territory. Such long-distance attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces have recently inflicted severe damage on Russia – hitting for instance, key oil facilities. Airlogix’s German production site is found on a list of twenty-one companies in various European countries that document a dangerous escalation. Through their arms production they are said to be dragging their host nations “into a war with Russia”. So far it has been Ukraine, not Russia, that has conducted attacks on Russian targets in third countries – specifically on tankers in the Mediterranean. Russia could well seek to emulate this practice, likewise striking targets in third countries, including companies that facilitate attacks on its territory.
The arms industry’s Silicon Valley
German drone manufacturers were quick to initiate closer cooperation with the Ukrainian armed forces after the start of the war in Ukraine. On the one hand, they began supplying Ukraine with their drones; on the other, they built increasingly close contact with units on the front line. This has meant learning from Ukraine’s day-to-day experiences in the fighting as it rapidly evolved into a drone war. The drone makers want to continuously optimise their own products. On this foundation we have seen a rapidly expanding German drone industry, centred around companies such as Helsing or Quantum Systems, especially Quantum Systems’ defence subsidiary Stark Defence. In specialist defence industry circles there was talk already last year of Ukraine having become the ‘Silicon Valley of the defence industry’ driven in particular by drone technology.[1] What drone makers and other defence industry producers like is the ability to partner with firms in a country where their products can be tested in real-world combat. This gives them a significant advantage in the global competition among arms manufacturers.
Access to combat data
Building on successes such as those in drone manufacturing, the German government has for some time been endeavouring to strengthen German-Ukrainian defence cooperation across a broad spectrum. In December, it presented a ten-point plan which, in addition to regular consultations at various levels, provides for the “strategic promotion of defence industry joint ventures” and “flagship projects for the joint research, development and production of defence equipment”. This applies “particularly to technologies where Ukrainian industry has a lead in experience”, not least “in drone defence”.[2] A particular focus is, accordingly, on making the know-how and capabilities gained in the war in Ukraine available to Germany. Last week, representatives from both sides signed an agreement on data cooperation in Berlin as part of the German-Ukrainian government consultations. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius explained that this partnership involves transferring “digital combat data” from Kyiv to Berlin in order to improve “the analysis of the deployment of German weapon systems in combat”. Such systems include the Panzerhaubitze 2000, a self-propelled howitzer from Rheinmetall and KNDS, and the IRIS-T air defence system from Diehl, all of which are being deployed in Ukraine.[3]
Secure production sites
On the sidelines of the government consultations, new agreements have also been concluded to ramp up joint drone production. Back in December, Quantum Systems and the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Frontline Robotics had already founded a joint venture called Quantum Frontline Industries (QFI), which is now manufacturing the Frontline Robotics LINZA drone on an industrial scale near Munich. There are expectations of output reaching up to 10,000 drones per year. A first batch was delivered at the end of March. One of the main reasons for relocating production to Germany is explicitly that it is considered safe there from Russian strikes. Factories in Ukraine can be destroyed as part of the ongoing war.[4] Last week, Quantum Systems also entered into two further joint ventures with Ukrainian firms. One, in which WIY Drones is a partner, with Quantum Systems in turn holding shares in WIY Drones. This entity is set to manufacture interceptor drones and associated ground control stations.[5] Another joint venture was established with Tencore, a company making unmanned ground systems, the likes of which have also long been in use in Ukraine.
Attacks deep in the hinterland
Furthermore, on the sidelines of German-Ukrainian government consultations, representatives of the German-US start-up Auterion and the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Airlogix have also agreed to jointly produce drones in Germany. Production lines are currently being set up at a plant near Munich. The first delivery is scheduled to take place in just a few months. In addition, plans are in place to build a factory at an undisclosed location in eastern Germany. What makes this joint venture special is that it will supply long-range drones. The groundwork for this was laid by Berlin and Kyiv in September 2025, when Defence Minister Pistorius announced that Germany would boost its “support for the procurement of long-range drones” in Ukraine. He stated that around 300 million euros would be made available “for various types of long-range drones manufactured in Ukraine”.[6] The drones being jointly produced by Auterion and Airlogix have a range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres and are designed to hit targets deep within Russian territory. The Ukrainian armed forces have recently inflicted heavy damage on Russia with such attacks, not least by striking oil facilities.
A global drone network
Germany is no longer the only country seeking close cooperation with the Ukrainian drone industry. British firms have also now established joint ventures with Ukrainian drone manufacturers. Last week, London announced its intention to supply the Ukrainian armed forces with 120,000 drones. The drone models are not only those designed for reconnaissance or use on nearby battlefields but also others capable of carrying out attacks over long distances deep into the Russian hinterland.[7] Last week, Ukraine also reached new agreements with Norway and the Netherlands; drones are to be manufactured in each of these countries as well, primarily for use in the war against Russia.[8] Given that Ukraine has now concluded agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to assist the Gulf states in building up their drone defences, it increasingly apparent that that Kyiv wants to draw on its combat experience gained from the war with Russia to establish “a global drone network”.[9]
‘Dragged into the war’
In light of the concentrated support from European states for Kyiv’s drone war, Moscow published a list last week of twenty-one companies based in several European countries that manufacture attack drones or key components for them. “A number of European countries” have decided to supply Ukraine with large numbers of drones not for frontline use, but “for attacks on Russian territory”, the statement reads.[10] Moscow views this as a “deliberate move” that is “gradually transforming the countries concerned into Ukraine’s strategic hinterland”. This, Moscow notes, means they will be “drawn into a war with Russia”. This can be understood as a threat. Until now, only Ukraine had carried out attacks on enemy targets in third countries. Ukrainian forces have sought to damage Russia’s import revenues by attacking tankers in the Mediterranean – an action that broke a taboo. Moscow might now feel compelled to follow suit and target companies in Western Europe that produce weapons intended to strike deep within Russian territory. The list mentioned includes, among others, Airlogix, based near Munich, a company manufacturing long-range drones for Ukraine in Germany.[11]
[1] Gregor Grosse: Ein Silicon Valley für Rüstung. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 20.09.2025. See also The Drone Crisis (II).
[2] Frank Specht, Leila Al-Serori: Deutschland legt Zehn-Punkte-Plan für Kooperation mit Ukraine vor. handelsblatt.com 15.12.2025.
[3] Pistorius wertet UDCG-Treffen in Berlin als Zeichen der Geschlossenheit. bmvg.de 15.04.2026.
[4] Peter Carstens: Ukrainer erteilten der NATO im Manöver eine bittere Lektion. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 17.02.2026. See also Von der Ukraine lernen.
[5] Markus Fasse, Nadine Schimroszik: Deutsche Industrie hilft Ukraine bei Langstreckendrohne. handelsblatt.com 14.04.2026.
[6] So hilft Deutschland der Ukraine im Abwehrkampf. bmvg.de 24.02.2025.
[7] Ottilie Mitchell: Ukraine’s military to get biggest-ever shipment of UK drones. bbc.co.uk 15.04.2026.
[8] Sevinj Osmanqizi: Ukraine, Netherlands Launch Joint Drone Deal. kyivpost.com 17.04.2026.
[9] Veronika Lehrl: Trotz Drohungen aus Moskau: Selenskyj startet neues Rüstungsprojekt mit den Niederlanden. focus.de 19.04.2026.
[10] Friedrich Schmidt: Moskau droht Europa mit Angriffen auf konkrete Ziele. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 17.04.2026.
[11] Dietmar Neuerer: Russland nennt Firmen als Ziele – auch in Deutschland. handelsblatt.com 18.04.2026.
