Media: Renault to Launch Drone Production in Ukraine

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu recently announced that a major French automotive manufacturer plans to establish drone production facilities in Ukraine. It has now been confirmed that the company in question is the automotive giant Renault.

According to France Info, Renault will initially collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises from France’s defense sector as part of the project’s first phase.

Subsequently, the establishment of production facilities directly on Ukrainian territory is planned.

In its press release, Renault confirmed that it had received the relevant request from the government but noted that a final decision has not yet been made.

Militarnyi already reported this statement by Sébastien Lecornu on June 6.

According to the announced plans, the new drones are intended to be supplied both to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to the French military.

Lecornu also noted that companies associated with the French defense industry are already operating within Ukraine.

French Automotive Sector Shifts Toward Defense

In early February, it was announced that the French government intends to engage the civilian industrial sector in adapting manufacturing capabilities to meet large-scale military procurement demands more efficiently.

Notably, a representative of the French automotive industry has already been invited to participate in the development of production lines for loitering munitions—commonly referred to as kamikaze drones—similar to those currently deployed in Ukraine.

The primary objective of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Defense Procurement Agency is to reach a production rate of several thousand drones within a matter of months.

It is possible that Renault was the company approached with this proposal.