“We need intercepting drones, we don't attack anyone!” The Minister of Defense gives the first details about how Romania wants to produce drones in common with Ukraine

The Minister of Defense, Ionuț Mosteanu, told Victoria Palace on Thursday that Romania is in discussions for creating a joint venture with Ukraine for the production of interception drones. “We want capabilities for defense, we do not attack anyone and this is what we want to be clear,” the minister said.

The Minister of Defense emphasized on Thursday in the Government that, in the context of the war triggered by Russia, Ukraine was forced to quickly innovate in this area to defend their citizens and territory, now one of the world leaders in drone production.

A joint venture between one of the Romanian companies and one of the Ukrainian companies

He mentioned that he had discussions on this topic a month ago and something when he went to Kiev, then telephone discussions, including last week with the industrial cooperation in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

“We are going to sign a letter of intent and then some subsequent steps until we get to take a joint venture between one of the Romanian companies and one of the Ukrainian companies. The objective is to finance on Safe a drone production project. The deadlines in Safe are the final of November for the list of projects and then the month of May 2026 to sign the contracts. Specifically between Romania and Ukraine, ”said Mosteanu.

“I would be hazarded to say how many drones we need”

The Minister of Defense was asked by journalists if there is any simulation at the MApN level regarding the needs of drones in the event of an aggression, in the context in which the EU aims to raise a “wall of drones” along its eastern border.

“The Drone Wall is a proposal of the European Commission that is not yet materialized in any way. We had a first discussion last Friday with Commissioner Kubilius (Na Andrius Kubilius-European Commissioner for Defense and Space) and with the defense ministers on the East Flank. We all asked for a new tool in the form of grant and for a rapid collaboration. Defense, we do not attack anyone and we want to be clear.

According to him, “Ukraine proposed a target to have a 65% successful rate with these interceptor drones against Russian drones.”

“It is a process of industrial development that is in progress and will continue at a fast pace in the months and years. The idea that someone knows how many drones we need.

“It is strategic for the eastern flank to be better protected.”

The information that Romania hopes to start quickly on its territory the production of defensive drones with Ukraine, intended for both internal use and allies in the European Union and NATO, was communicated by the head of Romanian diplomacy, Oana Țoiu, in an interview with the press agency Reuters and published on Tuesday, September 30.

Țoiu said that discussions with Ukraine began before the series of recent weeks of air space in the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, with drones and planes, incursions in this area attributed to Russia.

“We consider it strategic that the eastern flank is better protected, especially in terms of air defense. So what we do in this direction is to create the necessary partnerships, for example, with Ukraine, to build defensive drones for the future,” said the Romanian Foreign Minister.

“We believe in our ability to transform this into a fast reality,” she added, in the margin of the annual meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly, which ended on Monday.

Tensions with Moscow have intensified in recent weeks, Estonia accusing Russia of sending fighter jets in its air space, and NATO planes have shot down drones over Poland.

Romania also announced that its planes were about to break a drone that entered its air space.

Russia has reported that it has never targeted EU or NATO countries and that it does not intend to do so in the future.