The Government has adopted a resolution that will speed up and simplify the importation of military goods to Ukraine as much as possible. In particular, it concerns UAVs and their components. This document was developed jointly by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the relevant amendments were approved at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 14 February 2023.

“Today’s decisions will facilitate the prompt provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with modern devices and equipment necessary to repel russian aggression, including military robots. Amendments to the legislation should also give impetus to the development of domestic defence production. For example, such a high-tech industry as the manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles,” emphasized First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko.

The new resolution expands the list of military and dual-use goods that can be imported by natural persons and legal entities without the permission of the State Export Control Service. In particular, the following commodity items were added to the list:

• UAVs, their components, control equipment;
• robots, robot controllers specially designed for military use; 
• fire control equipment;
• cameras, night and television vision devices, optical sights for weapons;
• means of communication, Data Link, silencers, removable clips;
• parachutes and paragliders; demining equipment;
• radio jamming equipment or equipment for combating radio jamming (including anti-drone guns); 
• field generators “specially designed” or “modified” for military use;
• software for military use;
• specialized equipment for military training or for simulating military scenarios;
• technologies for the development, production and repair of military products.

The Resolution also provides for the possibility to obtain an international import certificate or other warranty document for a specified group of goods from the State Export Control Service, if necessary.

At the same time, the permit of the State Export Control Service remains obligatory for the importation of lethal military goods, such as:  

• cannons, howitzers, artillery, mortars, anti-tank weapons, launchers, military flamethrowers, rifles, smoothbore and rifled weapons, recoilless guns;
• ammunition, torpedo bombs, guided and unguided missiles, grenades, mines and explosives;
• tanks, aircraft, surface and submarine warships;
• chemical, bacteriological, biological weapons and chemical warfare agents;
• laser systems “specially designed” to destroy a target;
• nuclear energy or power plants, including military nuclear reactors.

As a reminder, the Government earlier simplified imports of drones into Ukraine by abolishing a requirement to obtain letters of guarantee.