Ukraine's National Development Institution has selected the first banks that will implement a preferential leasing program for defense industry enterprises, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has reported. The list includes Ukreximbank, PUMB, and MTB Bank.
Its main goal is to provide Ukrainian manufacturers of weapons and military equipment with access to necessary resources — including transport, production equipment, and modern technologies — on favorable financial terms.
State absorbs bulk of leasing costs for critical defense enterprises
Defense industry enterprises that hold a critically important status for the economy during the special period can access financial leasing at an effective rate of 5% per annum. The remaining financing costs are compensated by the state.
As Hanna Hvozdiar, Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, noted, the designation of the first authorized lessors marks the mechanism's transition to practical implementation.
Ukraine sets criteria
"Leasing is a critically important tool for the Ukrainian defense industry, as it provides rapid access to equipment, allows production to scale, and strengthens the ability to respond promptly to the needs of the front," she emphasized.
Support is delivered by reducing leasing payments through authorized lessor banks. These banks must meet defined requirements and implement the necessary internal products to operate within the program.
Previously, Ukraine, backed by the UK government, launched the Defense AI Center “A1”. According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the new institution is intended to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into military processes.
What is inside Ukraine’s new defense AI hub that will predict Russian moves?
The initiative is positioned as a tool for achieving technological superiority in conditions of high-intensity, fast-moving warfare. The “A1” is focused not on experimental research but on the practical battlefield application of AI technologies. One of the center’s key functions would be the processing of large-scale battlefield data.
