A SHAKEUP AT THE STATE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
Last month, Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, resigned from his post after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched an investigation into members of his office. NABU alleged that a number of those employed by the state prosecutor's office took bribes to protect fraudulent "call centers" throughout the country that reportedly stole millions of dollars via scammers who posed as investment advisers, banks, or law enforcement representatives. NABU alleged that a senior official in the prosecutor general's office shielded the "call centers" and helped them launder the money they received. That senior official appears to have been Serhiy Kropyva. Kropyva, who previously served as the deputy head of the International Cooperation Department, was detained. Kravchenko, who has not been arrested, maintains his innocence – and has leveled a series of accusations of his own against both NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and a close associate of Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecution (SAPO) head Oleksandr Klymenko. Both NABU and SAPO have refuted Kravchenko's allegations. (Meduza, September 7, 2026; The Guardian, September 8, 2026; OCCRP, September 14, 2026)
NORWAY JOINS UKRAINE'S DRONE DEAL PROGRAM
Norway became the tenth country to sign on to Ukraine's Drone Deal program on September 9th, joining Azerbaijan, Denmark, Estonia, Qatar, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Through the program, Ukraine receives long-term annual funding for its domestic defense industry while providing advisory support to partner nations. The program also facilitates the export of battle-tested weapons, establishes local technology production, and promotes cybersecurity and intelligence sharing between partners. (New Voice of Ukraine, September 9, 2026)
A DOMESTIC ALTERNATIVE TO CHINESE DRONES
Ukrainian manufacturer Vyriy Industries recently unveiled a new drone model, dubbed Slavic, as a substitute for the Chinese-made DJI Mavics upon which Ukraine has been heavily dependent to date. Vyriy Industries touts that its drone has a tactical range of up to 30 km, double that of a Mavic; smooth integration with Ukraine's DELTA battlefield management system and Kropyva tactical software; and a re-training period of under a day for Mavic pilots.
Still, questions remain. Vyriy Industries has not announced its drone's exact costs, or discussed plans for production at scale. That creates uncertainty about whether Slavic drones will be able to reduce or eliminate dependence on Chinese components and materiel – a key concern for the Ukrainian military. (Vyriy Industries, n.d.; Vyriy Industries, September 28, 2026; Kyiv Independent, September 30, 2026)
STUMBLING TOWARD DEFENSE EXPORTS
In early July, Kyiv announced that it will ease restrictions on arms exports and establish a fast-track procedure for exports to allies and partners. However, nearly three months later, the Ukrainian government has not issued any export permits. Ukraine's State Service for Export Control concedes that the bureaucratic processes needed for the implementation of the new export regime are not yet in place. The endeavor is plagued by a number of issues, including that the government has not yet approved a list of products that can be exported.
The delay highlights a key tension. Kyiv understandably wants to keep critical military equipment in Ukraine for its own military needs, but defense industry representatives have long argued that their manufacturing capacity far exceeds the amount of weapons that Ukraine's government can afford to purchase. Industry experts say that amendments governing the application process are expected in coming weeks, with actual exports likely to follow months later. (Kyiv Independent, September 25, 2026)
A MANHATTAN PROJECT FOR ROBOTS?
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Federov announced in late September that he wants to build a "new Manhattan Project" to replace the country's infantry with an Army of Robots. To achieve this goal, Federov has requested participation from robotics, AI, sensors, and autonomous systems experts to accelerate innovation, much the same way the U.S. did during World War II when it invented the atomic bomb. Fedorov set a six-month goal to field the first robots, with a secondary goal of executing robotic-only assaults within a year. The project may also include investments in cheaper missiles and AI-enabled strike drones. (Defense News, October 5, 2026)