Renault considers production of drones in Ukraine "a few tens or hundreds of kilometres from the frontline"

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has approached Renault with a proposal to join the production of drones in Ukraine as part of defence cooperation with an unnamed French military company. Renault confirmed: "we were called, we talked, but there is no official decision yet - we are waiting for details." This was reported by Franceinfo radio station, citing its own sources.

How it will work

According to the plan, Renault will team up with a French small and medium-sized enterprise specialising in the defence industry to launch drone production lines "a few tens or hundreds of kilometres" from the front line. That is, in fact, right in Ukraine.

French Defence Minister Sébastien Le Coronneu noted that the drones should primarily serve Ukraine. But French troops will also have access to the equipment and undergo operational training "in real combat conditions".

Why it matters.

Drones are a key factor in warfare: 70% of damaged enemy targets were destroyed by drones. It is expected that Ukraine will use more than 4.5 million drones in 2025.
France has been trying to revive the "war economy" since 2022, with more than €30 billion allocated for defence needs. French manufacturers are already adapting quickly: from guns to drones.

What's next.

Renault has not officially decided anything yet - we are waiting for the final verdict after the ministry specifies the conditions. If the deal goes through, it will be one of the first times that a carmaker has directly turned into a military drone manufacturer... and thousands of kilometres away from home.

Source: franceinfo