Renault, the French automotive giant, has been identified as the company set to produce drones in Ukraine. France Info says production lines could be located “a few dozen or hundred kilometers from the front line.”

Renault to build drones in Ukraine near frontline zones

France Info reported on 8 June that Renault plans to enter the defense sector by partnering with a French SME specializing in defense technology to produce drones in Ukraine. 

The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, initially disclosed on 6 June that a “major French car manufacturer” would produce drones in Ukraine, without naming the company. 

Renault confirmed to France Info that it had been contacted by the French government about the drone production project, but added that “no decision has been made at this stage.”

Lecornu earlier noted that there is no current need for French workers to staff the production facilities in Ukraine. He emphasized Ukrainian expertise, stating that Ukrainians are “better than us at imagining drones and especially at developing the doctrine around them.”

Drones for Ukraine and France

The drones are intended for use by both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the French military. France lags behind in drone capabilities and sees this partnership as an opportunity to benefit from Ukraine’s battlefield innovation and experience.

Militarnyi says that the project will begin with Renault joining small and medium-sized French defense businesses, followed by the establishment of production capacities on Ukrainian territory.

On 6 June, Lecornu also noted that other companies connected to France’s defense industry are already operating in Ukraine.

French military-industrial strategy shifts

This development aligns with earlier announcements in February about France planning to adapt its civilian industry to respond to large-scale military demands. Militarnyi reported that one representative of the French auto industry had already been approached to help launch drone production, particularly for kamikaze-type drones similar to those used in Ukraine. The Ministry of Armed Forces and the French defense procurement agency reportely aim to reach production speeds of several thousand drones within a few months.

French automotive and defense companies will produce drones on Ukrainian soil, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on June 6, Le Monde reported.

"We are going to embark on a completely unprecedented partnership where a large French car company – I won't name it because it's up to them to announce it – will join forces with a French defense SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) to equip production lines in Ukraine to be able to produce drones," Lecornu said, as quoted by the newspaper.

Lecornu did not specify the types of drones to be produced.

He said that, apart from Ukraine, the drones will be also provided "to our own armies… to have ongoing tactical and operational training that reflects the reality."

Lecornu also said there is "no need" to send French citizens to work on the production line, since it will be set up in Ukraine, where Ukrainians "are better than us at designing drones and especially at developing the strategies that accompany them."

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been developing and deploying technological innovations and cutting-edge unmanned systems. Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.

In late March, presidential advisor Alexander Kamyshin said in an interview with Radio Khartia that Ukrainian manufacturers had the capacity to produce over 5 million FPV drones per year.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk