Poland and Ukraine set up drone working groups
The countries link the cooperation to the transfer of Polish MiG-29s and access to Ukrainian drone technology.
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Poland and Ukraine agreed on Tuesday to establish joint working groups for drones and anti-drone systems. The information comes from Poland’s deputy defence minister; independent confirmation with further details is still lacking.
According to Cezary Tomczyk, Poland’s deputy defence minister, Poland and Ukraine have signed an agreement on cooperation in drone and anti-drone technology. Tomczyk announced this in a post on X, reproduced by Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the same source, the agreement is linked to an arrangement under which Poland will transfer MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine. In return, Poland would gain access to Ukrainian expertise on unmanned systems. The new report does not state how many aircraft are involved or when the transfer will take place.
Ukraine has extensive operational experience with drones and intercepting Russian unmanned systems. Poland is also investing in drones and anti-drone capabilities. The countries had previously announced cooperation in this area, but the agreement reported on Tuesday appears to formalise the cooperation again.
The precise tasks of the working groups have not yet been made public. Nor is it clear whether they will focus on research, joint production, training, operational deployment or all four. It is therefore not yet possible to establish what immediate military capability the agreement will deliver.
The development is relevant to European security because Poland lies on NATO’s eastern border and Ukrainian technology is becoming increasingly important in the war with Russia. For the Netherlands, its significance lies mainly in the broader European debate on air defence and protection against drones. The practical implementation of the agreement remains to be seen.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Poland and Ukraine report an agreement on drone and anti-drone technology.
- The agreement is linked to the transfer of MiG-29s and access to Ukrainian expertise.
- The practical implementation remains unknown.
Left
Arguments Emphasises European cooperation, Ukrainian technological expertise and joint resilience against Russian military pressure.
Values Collective security, solidarity and European strategic autonomy.
Consequences Sees joint production and knowledge-sharing as a way to become less dependent on external suppliers.
Centre
Arguments Emphasises that cooperation could be useful, but that parliamentary oversight, export rules and clear military objectives remain necessary.
Values The rule of law, feasibility and coordination among allies.
Consequences Expects meaningful results only when the working groups have concrete projects, funding and responsibilities.
Right
Arguments Emphasises rapid military innovation and the importance of Ukrainian experience for defending NATO’s eastern flank.
Values Deterrence, national defence and technological capability.
Consequences Fears that bureaucracy or reluctance could delay the development of effective anti-drone capabilities.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The new agreement can be traced directly to a statement by a Polish deputy minister. The text makes clear that details and independent confirmation are still lacking.
- confirmed Poland and Ukraine agreed on 10 November to establish working groups for drone and anti-drone technology. — Interfax-Ukraine quotes Poland’s deputy minister Cezary Tomczyk. source
- confirmed The agreement is linked to the transfer of MiG-29s and access to Ukrainian technology. — This is stated in the same report, but details are lacking. source
- uncertain The precise tasks of the working groups have not yet been made public. — The available report does not mention any tasks; full documents were not found. source
- confirmed Ukraine had previously announced a working group on unmanned systems with Poland. — Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence published this in September 2025. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Poland and Ukraine set up working groups for drones.Now: Poland and Ukraine report new agreements on working groups for drones. (The new agreement has been publicly confirmed mainly through a statement by a single Polish government official; independent confirmation is lacking.)
Editor's note
The agreement reported on Tuesday is based on a statement by Poland’s deputy minister, reproduced by Interfax-Ukraine. The second source confirms earlier cooperation from September 2025, not necessarily the new agreement; the status is therefore insufficient_sources.Sources
- Poland, Ukraine finalize MiG-29 transfer arrangements - deputy minister — Interfax-Ukraine
- Ukraine and Poland establish a Joint Working Group on Unmanned Aerial Systems — Ministerie van Defensie van Oekraïne
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „polen oekraïne”
- De Telegraaf — „polen oekraïne”
- AD — „polen oekraïne”