French companies will begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine, marking a deepening of direct defense-industry cooperation between the two nations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the decision on 21 July during a two-day visit to Kyiv, Euroactiv reports. 

Paris brings military manufacturing into Ukraine

President Zelenskyy confirmed that French companies will begin manufacturing drones inside Ukraine.

“We are ready to expand joint defense production,” he posted on X, adding: “There is a decision by French companies to begin manufacturing drones in Ukraine – and this is highly valuable.”

France’s Foreign Minister Barrot echoed the statement in a separate post:

“French drones will be built on Ukrainian soil.” He described the move as a sign of “sovereignty and strategic trust.”

France and Ukraine expand defense partnership scope

In addition to drone manufacturing, Zelenskyy stated that the meeting covered broader military cooperation. That included improving Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, continued troop training, and recent outcomes from Ramstein-format meetings.

On 21 July, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot came to Kyiv for a two-day visit. After arriving, he immediately headed to the sites hit during the massive overnight attack on the Lukianivka district.

“Shelters themselves are no longer entirely safe, as the metro station next to me, which serves as a shelter for Kyiv residents, became a target of the attack. It happened at the same time President Zelenskyy, on Saturday morning, declared Ukraine’s readiness to enter new negotiations with Russia,” he emphasized. 

In Kyiv, Foreign Minister Barrot is set to meet with Zelenskyy, new Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, and his counterpart Andrii Sybiha, UkrInform reports. 

During the visit, he will also take part in Ukraine’s Ambassadors Conference and visit the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The facility is still undergoing the restoration of the site after the Russian occupation in 2022 and a Shahed strike, which damaged the protection shield over the plant itself. 

“Our embassy staff, like all Kyiv residents, were forced to seek shelter from 3 AM to 5 AM,” the minister said.

He noted that the wave of attacks struck not only civilian infrastructure but also kindergartens, supermarkets, and residential buildings. Two people were killed in an attack, and a dozen civilians were hospitalized. 

“That’s why the package of mass sanctions adopted at the European level last Thursday is crucial to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin, to raise the cost of this outrageous war, and to compel him to cease fire and engage in talks that will lead to a just and lasting peace,” Barrot stated.

On 18 July, the EU agreed on a new Russia sanctions package, with ambassadors reaching consensus on the bloc’s 18th sanctions round. The round targets key sectors of the Russian economy, including Slovakia and Malta. The restrictions hit energy, the main source of Moscow’s revenues.