Ukraine Offers Philippines Joint Production of Naval Drones

Ukraine has offered the Philippines a defense agreement that includes joint production of naval drones.

Naval News reported this news, citing Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Yuliia Fediv’s statement.

The sides plan to sign the agreement by October.

A high-level Ukrainian delegation, including Defense Ministry officials, is expected to visit Manila for talks with Philippine counterparts.

Fediv stated the draft agreement has already been submitted to the Philippines Department of National Defense, and Kyiv is awaiting an official response.

Last week, Colonel Andriy Bilensky, Ukraine’s first non-resident defense attaché to the Philippines, visited several military units in Manila, including the headquarters of the Air Force, Army, and Navy.

Talks focused on potential cooperation in technology, training, and defense capability development.

The Philippine military may be particularly interested in Ukrainian naval drones amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea.

Disputes over maritime borders and territorial claims have repeatedly led to clashes between Chinese and Philippine warships and coast guard vessels. Naval drones, including those produced by Ukraine, could serve as a deterrent against the Chinese fleet.

In July, the defense ministers of the Philippines and Lithuania signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a security alliance.

The memorandum calls for cooperation in defense, including cybersecurity, the defense industry, ammunition production, countermeasures, and maritime security.

At the time, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Šakalienė said the agreement reflected concern about the emergence of an “authoritarian axis” — Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran — and underscored the need for a unified response from pro-democratic states.