Ukraine Plans Joint Gunpowder Production with U.S.

Ukroboronprom plans to launch joint production of gunpowder in the United States with an unnamed American company, a Ukrainian official said.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, an advisor to the President of Ukraine, told Ukrinform news agency that an agreement had been signed during the international Ukraine Recovery Conference on July 11.

“This is an agreement on joint production of gunpowder in the U.S. by an American company and Ukroboronprom,” Kamyshin said. “It’s a good example of cooperation between the defense industries of Ukraine, Europe, and the United States.”

Several other defense-related agreements were also signed between Ukrainian and Italian industry representatives, including a memorandum between Ukraine Council of Gunsmiths and Italy’s Association of Armament Manufacturers.

Kamyshin said those companies were already partners in other projects, and Ukraine continues to expand its defense cooperation with Italy and other European countries.

He added that the agreements are the result of efforts by the Ministry of Strategic Industries and the president’s team to build joint production capacity. “Two years ago, this was an unattainable goal for Ukraine,” he said.

Ukrainian-American cooperation

The details of the cooperation model between Ukroboronprom and the U.S. partner were not disclosed. However, the fact that production will take place in the United States suggests Ukraine may provide raw materials in exchange for guaranteed access to finished products.

Alongside explosives, gunpowder remains a critical shortage item globally, constraining the production of artillery ammunition for both Ukraine and other nations. Joint production in the U.S. could help ease that bottleneck.

Producing gunpowder in the U.S. would also remove it from the reach of Russian missile strikes, adding an additional layer of security.