Ukrspecsystems has opened a £200 million drone production facility in Suffolk, creating up to 500 jobs and expanding UK-based manufacturing to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The site will produce surveillance and related drone systems as part of ongoing UK military assistance.
The UK government has launched Project Nightfall to develop a new ground-launched ballistic missile for Ukraine with a range of more than 500 kilometres. The programme aims to deliver test missiles within 12 months and support long-range strike capability and comes as Russia carried out a strike on Ukraine last week using the Oreshnik system.
Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention has formally taken effect, six months after notification was submitted to the United Nations. The decision allows Finland to plan for the reintroduction of landmines while maintaining its international legal obligations. Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which also share borders with Russia, have already completed their withdrawal from the treaty.
Germany approved €8.4 billion in arms export licences in 2025, marking a clear drop after two record years. Government data show a sharp fall in approvals for Ukraine, while Norway became the largest recipient and licences for Turkey rose to their highest level since 1999.
Foreign policy advisers from the United States, Ukraine, Germany and other partners are set to resume talks on a possible peace framework for Ukraine in Berlin, according to government sources. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to take part, with discussions following several earlier rounds of negotiations since November. The talks come as diplomatic efforts continue alongside ongoing fighting, with both Russia and Ukraine reporting casualties from drone and missile strikes.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine’s response to the revised US peace plan addresses the issue of potential territorial concessions — a central obstacle in efforts to end Russia’s war. European leaders have invited the US to discuss the proposal this weekend, with further talks possible in Berlin, next week.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has dismissed the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy, which portrays freedom of expression in Europe as eroding. Speaking in Berlin, he said Germany needs no advice on free speech protections and defended the country’s constitutional safeguards and free media.
The European Commission and the High Representative have introduced a military mobility package aimed at enabling fast, coordinated movement of troops across Europe by 2027, alongside a Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap to strengthen innovation and production capacity. The proposals include harmonised cross-border procedures, new emergency transport mechanisms, infrastructure upgrades and measures to accelerate defence technology development across the EU.
Defence Builder of Ukraine and Finland’s 17Tech have formed a strategic partnership to link Ukraine’s battlefield-driven innovation with Finland’s defence technology expertise. The collaboration will support startups from NATO countries, provide access to operational validation environments, enable field testing in Ukraine and expand investor and defence-sector networks across both nations.
Saab has signed a €3.1 billion contract with Colombia for 17 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft including two twin-seat Gripen F fighters to be delivered between 2026 and 2032, following orders from Thailand recently, a Ukrainian letter of intent for hundreds of aircraft and strong prospects coming up in Canada.
Germany will contribute at least €150 million toward the purchase of US-made military equipment for Ukraine, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a meeting of the “Group of Five” European defence ministers in Berlin under NATO’s PURL scheme.
Leonardo and KNDS have entered into an agreement to offer the CAESAR Self-Propelled Howitzer to the U.S. Army. Leonardo DRS will act as prime contractor and KNDS as system designer and manufacturer, with the system proposed for integration on U.S. tactical vehicles.
The German cabinet approved a bill for setting up a National Security Council and introducing voluntary military service, which could turn into conscription in the absence of sufficient volunteers, of which an initial 15,000 are required with a target of 80,000, whom the government plans to entice with high salaries.
150 German soldiers with five Eurofighter jets began their deployment at the Minsk Mazowiecki military airfield in Poland to monitor its airspace for a few weeks upon its request, while, so far, having performed the same role from Rostock, in north-eastern Germany.
Germany’s defence ministry said it is ready to deliver two promised Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine from its inventory of nine systems, with plans to replace them with new orders from the U.S.
