EU-Ukraine drone alliance holds first governing board meeting in Brussels

September 11, 2026 at 04:47 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The EU-Ukraine drone alliance held its first governing board meeting in Brussels on Friday, September 11, with 18 companies selected from about 400 applicants. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said Europe must match Russia's drone production capacity of up to 10 million FPV drones per year. The alliance aims to create joint ventures and test new drones in real combat conditions in Ukraine.

Key Facts

The alliance includes 18 companies — nine from Ukraine and nine from EU member states — selected from about 400 applicants.
European industry currently produces about 1.5 million drones per year, while Russia can produce up to 10 million FPV drones annually, according to Commissioner Kubilius.
Kubilius estimated Russia's production capacity at 130,000 jet-powered drones and 1,700 ballistic missiles per year.
The alliance will link Ukrainian and European manufacturers with the DECODER drone coalition and the Eastern Flank Watch initiative.

Alliance Launch

The EU-Ukraine drone alliance held its first governing board meeting in Brussels on Friday, September 11. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius opened the meeting, calling it a historic step forward. The alliance was launched during the third EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum in Kyiv. It includes 18 companies — nine from Ukraine and nine from EU member states — selected from about 400 applicants.

Production Gap

European industry currently produces about 1.5 million drones per year, Kubilius said. Russia can produce up to 10 million FPV drones annually, he added. Kubilius estimated Russia's production capacity at 130,000 jet-powered drones and 1,700 ballistic missiles per year. European production lines must be ready to sharply increase output within weeks if necessary, he said.

Joint Ventures and Testing

The alliance aims to create joint ventures and production facilities between Ukrainian and European companies. Other priorities include securing supply chains, preparing production lines for rapid scaling, and accelerating development and procurement of new technologies. New developments are to be jointly tested, including in real combat conditions in Ukraine. Kubilius said the path from identifying a technology need to a prototype must be shortened from several years to several months. The alliance will connect Ukrainian and European manufacturers with the DECODER drone coalition and the Eastern Flank Watch initiative.