Ukraine and Germany are finalizing an agreement for the joint development of various types of drones and air defense technologies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced after a conversation with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. According to Zelensky, technical teams are already finalizing the text of the agreement, which aims to deepen cooperation between the two countries in defense technology.
Among the programs under development is an order for 15,000 Strila interceptors, autonomous systems developed by the German company Quantum Systems, designed to combat Russian Shahed attack drones. In April, Quantum Systems and the Ukrainian company WIY Drones announced the creation of Quantum WIY Industries, a joint venture focused on increasing the production of unmanned interceptor systems and software for air defense.
Germany is also financing the acquisition of 50,000 Shrike attack drones produced by the Ukrainian company SkyFall, representing one of the largest known purchases of Ukrainian drones by a Western government. Zelensky and Merz also discussed new German support for Ukraine's air defense and the possibility of an in-person meeting, in a conversation marked by an explosive drone attack attributed to Russia at Leipzig airport.
