Ukraine's Ministry of Defence held a series of meetings during a visit to Ukraine by a joint mission of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by DG DEFIS Deputy Director-General Herald Ruijters. According to Ukrinform, the meetings were reported by the Ministry of Defence.
The parties discussed mechanisms for verifying and monitoring the use of funds under the Ukraine Support Loan, cooperation within the framework of the EU–Ukraine Defence Industry Pact, and the needs of Ukraine's defence sector.
Deputy Minister of Defence for European Integration Serhii Boiev presented Ukraine's defence financing requirements for 2027 and outlined priorities for allocating international assistance.
Particular emphasis was placed on unmanned systems, whose role on the battlefield continues to grow. Key priorities include supporting the production of Ukrainian FPV drones and medium- and long-range strike capabilities.
Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Hvozdiar presented the capabilities of Ukraine's defence industry and outlined production priorities under the Ukraine Support Loan.
The parties discussed in detail the implementation of the EU–Ukraine Defence Industry Pact, the Drone Deal initiative and the establishment of joint ventures.
"We are actively cooperating with our European partners and seeking concrete results for both sides. Joint production is the key to strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities today and Europe's security in the future," Hvozdiar said.
The meeting also addressed the further integration of Ukraine's defence industry into the EU's defence-industrial ecosystem, the expansion of industrial cooperation and the strengthening of long-term partnerships.
Deputy Minister of Defence Mstyslav Banik discussed verification, accountability and procurement approaches with the EU delegation, alongside Artem Romaniukov, Acting Director of the Defence Procurement Agency, and the agency's team.
The Ministry of Defence's priorities in this area include improving defence procurement legislation to reflect wartime realities and EU recommendations, transitioning to competitive procurement procedures and further moving tenders onto electronic platforms to minimise the human factor.
"We are seeing increased competition, an expanding market and significant cost savings. Some tenders have already been successfully completed, and deliveries to the military have begun. In this way, the Ministry of Defence, together with the Defence Procurement Agency, is creating a straightforward system with zero tolerance for corruption and illicit schemes, while remaining transparent to our partners," Banik said.
Romaniukov outlined the Defence Procurement Agency's approaches to ensuring transparency and accountability in defence procurement, cooperation with anti-corruption authorities and the application of a risk-based approach to screening contractors.
"It is important to us that our international partners have confidence in Ukraine's defence procurement system. That is why we are strengthening oversight at every stage of procurement, introducing appropriate monitoring tools and conducting audits so that our partners can be confident that international assistance funds are being used efficiently and transparently," Romaniukov emphasised.
The Ukrainian delegation also highlighted positive developments in the involvement of European businesses, noting that European defence companies had already participated in competitive procurement procedures announced by the Defence Procurement Agency in 2026.
The Ukraine Support Loan is one of the key instruments for financing Ukraine's defence needs and developing cooperation with European partners.
The loan provides for up to €90 billion in support for Ukraine in 2026–2027, including nearly €60 billion for defence and a further €30 billion in budgetary support.
Ukraine has already received almost €16 billion. The latest tranche of €2.86 billion was disbursed in mid-October.
Maintaining transparency and accountability to international partners in the use of these funds is of particular importance to Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence expressed its gratitude to the European Union for its reliable partnership, deepening cooperation and support for expanding defence production.
