Ukraine's NSDC: 18 defense companies cleared to export weapons abroad
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council says 18 Ukrainian companies have received permits to sell finished weapons abroad, part of more than 400 export applications processed by an interagency commission since February 2026, with over 90% approved. Deputy NSDC Secretary Davyd Aloian, who heads the commission, discussed the figures at a joint event on Ukrainian defense companies' entry into international markets, and the NSDC also reported recent talks with a UK Ministry of Defence delegation on drones, missile defense and joint production.
Key points
- Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of the NSDC, heads the Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control Policy
- 18 Ukrainian companies have received permits to sell finished weapons abroad
- More than 400 export applications processed by the commission since February 2026
- Over 90% of processed export applications have been approved
- The Interagency Commission was established with its composition approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky
- A recent meeting with a UK Ministry of Defence delegation covered Drone Deal, Anti-Ballistic Coalition and joint production cooperation
Why it matters
The figures point to a concrete, state-backed push to integrate Ukrainian weapons makers into global arms markets at a moment when Western demand for munitions, drones and air-defense systems remains high. A 90%+ approval rate on over 400 applications since February suggests the commission is operating as a fast-track mechanism rather than a bottleneck. The readout also keeps the UK on the list of active defense-industrial partners alongside the more prominent Drone Deal, missile-defense and joint-production tracks.
What happened
Speaking at a joint event organized by the analytical center We Build Ukraine, FRU Defence and Ernst & Young on Ukrainian defense companies entering international markets, Davyd Aloian — deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and head of the Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control Policy — disclosed the commission's first export statistics. Since it began reviewing applications in February 2026, the commission has processed more than 400 applications and approved over 90% of them. Eighteen Ukrainian companies have already received permits to sell finished weapons abroad, a milestone the NSDC framed as this year's first such permits for Ukrainian enterprises. Aloian said the state is interested in developing the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex and is open to dialogue with manufacturers and industry associations, while the NSDC said it is actively working with partners to promote Ukrainian defense companies internationally. Separately, a recent meeting with a delegation from the UK's Ministry of Defence covered cooperation under the Drone Deal, the Anti-Ballistic Coalition and joint production. The commission's composition and Aloian's appointment as its head were approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Background
The Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control Policy was established under a presidential decision by Volodymyr Zelensky, who approved its composition and appointed its current head. Ukrainian enterprises are reported to have received their first permits to export weapons in 2026, marking the first such authorizations for the country's manufacturers.