Ukraine's third International Defence Industries Forum, DFNC³, has concluded in Kyiv. The Defense Ministry has reported that this year’s forum gathered around 2,000 participants from more than 20 countries.
Representatives of 900 defence and tech companies, 120 government bodies, 50 defence ministries, embassies, and international organisations were also present. The largest delegations came from Denmark, the United States, Poland, the UK, Sweden, and Norway.
Ukraine's weapons potential has grown by orders of magnitude
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stressed that since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine’s weapons potential has increased dozens of times, has opened the forum. The head of state emphasized that weapons production today is a shared task of Ukraine and its allies.
During the event, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Ukraine's international partners and presented state awards.
- Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof received the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class
- Norway’s Commander-in-Chief General Eirik Kristoffersen and Vice-Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, the Netherlands’ national director for armaments, were awarded Orders of Merit, 3rd class
New international defence agreements signed
On the sidelines of DFNC³, a number of strategic documents were signed that open new opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers:
- With Denmark — a Memorandum of Understanding to launch production of Ukrainian defence companies on Danish territory.
- With Slovakia — an agreement on supplying Ukraine with non-lethal and humanitarian equipment.
- With participation from Ukraine's top defense company, Ukroboronprom
- Ukrainian enterprises concluded cooperation agreements with companies from Spain and Romania.
Ukrainian weapons are forged in the reality of war
“Ukrainian weapons are our intelligent power. They are unique because they are created in the conditions of a real, exhausting war and already today help our military carry out combat missions,” said Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Hvozdjar.
DFNC³: synergy of state, business, and partners
Ukraine's Defense Ministry representatives said that cooperation between the state, industry, and international partners within DFNC³ is driving the emergence of new production capacities, the adoption of modern technologies, and increased volumes of Ukrainian weapons production.
Read also
-
Drones keep sinking ships off Romania and Bulgaria—French and US patrol planes are watching
-
Russia promises “favorable conditions” to European firms a month after seizing control of Nestlé and Auchan
-
Kazakhstan prepares a list for Moscow, Kenya appeals to Kyiv: three governments try to get citizens out of Russia’s war
