Netherlands plans to host Ukrainian weapons production
The Netherlands plans to let Ukrainian defense companies assemble weapons—including ‘Vampire’ attack drones, small flying bombs that loiter over targets and explode on impact—inside Dutch factories, the Ministry of Defence’s Taskforce Ukraine said at a European defense innovation conference.
The move follows Denmark’s recent decision to host Ukrainian company Fire Point, which is producing fuel for cruise missiles. It marks one of the first instances where a Ukrainian weapons producer will manufacture weapons or components outside Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in June that his country was negotiating with other nations on joint weapons production, a crucial step to sustain the conflict. Ukraine’s domestic defense industry has grown rapidly, now encompassing 112 defense companies with over half a million employees, producing about a third of the weapons used by its armed forces.
During the conference, Helena Dushenok of the Ukrainian company Skyfall said her firm is eager for new locations abroad. “How could the Netherlands help us? We need a safe place to work. That place could be here,” she said, according to AD. Skyfall currently produces 5,000 Vampire drones per month, flying bombs featured online in videos showing grenades dropped on Russian targets.
Colonel Simon Wouda of the Taskforce Ukraine said the Dutch plan aims to go beyond Denmark’s approach. “We want to make it possible for Ukrainian companies to set up entire production lines here. That improves the quality of their equipment, but it also helps us,” he said. The exact plan and which companies will be involved have not been disclosed.
