Ukraine has proposed to Slovenia that the two countries set up joint defence enterprises, develop a Drone Deal and test new solutions in real combat conditions.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence reported this following a meeting between Minister of Defence Yevhenii Khmara and his Slovenian counterpart Valentin Hajdinjak.

The Ukrainian side briefed the delegation on the situation at the front and the main threats posed by Russia. The Ministry named the intensification of strikes on civilian facilities using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones among the most critical.

Against this backdrop, Ukraine continues to develop its own asymmetric solutions, but additional funding and air defence assets remain its two key needs.

The two sides also discussed how to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to seize the initiative at the front, including through the development of middle-strike and deep strike capabilities.

The Ministry of Defence stressed that Ukraine’s defence industry already has the capacity to produce far more of the assets needed, but that scaling up requires additional funding from partners.

Slovenia was offered several specific areas of cooperation: joint enterprises, a Drone Deal, testing technological solutions in combat conditions and sharing experience of adapting to modern warfare.

Support for Ukraine’s defence industry and continued assistance to Ukraine are already part of Slovenia’s broader policy. In early September, Minister of Defence Valentin Hajdinjak confirmed Slovenia’s continued military support for Ukraine at a meeting of EU defence ministers.

Countering Russian information and psychological operations was a separate part of the meeting.

Yevhenii Khmara stressed that Russia is stepping up such operations not only against Ukraine but also against European countries, so the response to them must also be a joint one.

The minister thanked Slovenia for its military support and its contributions to the PURL mechanism.