Ukraine’s General Cherry to Localize Drone Production in Finland With Patria

• Ukrainian drone manufacturer General Cherry and Finnish defense company Patria have signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in unmanned systems.
• Patria plans to establish drone production in Finland together with the Ukrainian company. 
• The future production is intended primarily to support Ukraine’s defense needs, while the companies also plan to develop unmanned systems for Western European customers. 
• General Cherry specializes in strike FPV drones, fiber-optic drones, interceptor drones and fixed-wing UAVs. 
• The partnership could give Ukrainian drone technology access to Finland’s industrial infrastructure and the wider European defense market.

Ukrainian drone manufacturer General Cherry and Finnish defense company Patria have agreed to cooperate on unmanned systems and plan to launch drone production in Finland. The partnership is intended to combine General Cherry’s battlefield-driven experience in drone development with Patria’s industrial capabilities, initially supporting Ukraine’s defense needs while also creating opportunities for future European products. 

General Cherry and Patria Sign Letter of Intent

The Ukrainian company General Cherry and Finland’s Patria signed a Letter of Intent on August 23, 2026, covering cooperation in unmanned systems.

Patria says the agreement provides for plans to initiate drone production in Finland. The company described the partnership as part of its effort to expand its unmanned-systems capabilities and strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities. 

The agreement is an important step toward bringing Ukrainian drone manufacturing experience into Finland’s defense-industrial ecosystem.

Production Will Be Localized in Finland

The central element of the agreement is the planned localization of Ukrainian drone production in Finland.

According to InVenture, the companies intend to use Patria’s industrial infrastructure to scale Ukrainian unmanned technologies outside Ukraine.

This could provide General Cherry with additional production capacity while bringing its technology closer to European defense customers.

Ukraine’s Defense Needs Are a Priority

The future cooperation is expected to focus first on the needs of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

The partners also see potential for jointly developing unmanned systems for Western European defense requirements.

This creates a dual purpose for the project: strengthening Ukraine’s immediate defense capabilities while building a longer-term European production partnership.

What General Cherry Produces

General Cherry specializes in several categories of unmanned aerial systems.

According to Patria, its portfolio includes strike FPV drones, fiber-optic drones, aerial-target interceptor drones and fixed-wing UAVs.

The company has developed its products during Russia’s full-scale invasion and says its systems are shaped by battlefield experience and continuous feedback from Ukrainian forces.

Battlefield Experience Is a Key Asset

One of the main advantages General Cherry brings to the partnership is its experience developing drones for actual combat conditions.

The company says its products are developed alongside Ukrainian soldiers and modified based on frontline feedback.

That experience could be valuable for European defense manufacturers seeking to adapt their unmanned systems to the rapidly changing character of modern warfare.

Patria Brings Industrial Capacity

Patria has more than a century of experience in the defense industry.

The Finnish company operates across land, sea and air defense sectors and has increasingly invested in unmanned systems and related technologies.

The partnership therefore combines two different strengths: Ukrainian battlefield-driven development and Finnish industrial and defense expertise.

Patria Is Expanding Its Drone Capabilities

Patria already develops unmanned technologies as part of a broader defense ecosystem.

The company says its work includes integrating unmanned platforms with sensors, communications, data and artificial intelligence.

The partnership with General Cherry is intended to strengthen that area of its business.

The Companies Could Develop New Systems Together

The cooperation is not limited to manufacturing existing Ukrainian drone designs.

Patria says the partnership will enable the joint development of unmanned solutions for Western European defense needs.

That could eventually lead to products specifically adapted to the requirements of European armed forces.

Ukraine Could Gain Additional Production Capacity

One of the practical benefits for Ukraine would be access to production capacity outside the country.

A manufacturing base in Finland could provide an additional supply channel for Ukrainian defense needs and reduce dependence on production facilities located inside a country at war.

The InVenture report describes the project as an opportunity to scale General Cherry’s production beyond Ukraine.

Finland Provides a European Industrial Base

Finland offers an established defense-industrial environment and close integration with European security structures.

For General Cherry, local production in Finland could make it easier to cooperate with European companies and defense institutions.

It could also facilitate the development of products intended for European customers.

The Partnership Comes Amid Rapid Growth in Drone Warfare

Drones have become one of the defining technologies of the war in Ukraine.

Both sides increasingly use unmanned systems for reconnaissance, strike missions, interception and other military tasks.

This has created strong demand for faster development cycles and technologies that can be adapted to changing battlefield conditions.

Europe Is Looking to Ukraine for Drone Expertise

European defense companies have increasingly sought partnerships with Ukrainian manufacturers because of Ukraine’s extensive operational experience with drones.

The war has provided Ukrainian developers with an unusually large amount of real-world feedback on the performance and limitations of unmanned systems.

General Cherry’s partnership with Patria is another example of this growing integration.

Patria Has Been Active in Ukraine’s Defense Ecosystem

Patria says it has long participated in Ukraine’s defense research and development ecosystem.

The company has also been developing expertise in unmanned systems and next-generation capabilities, including AI-enabled solutions for unmanned aerial systems.

The new partnership expands that existing relationship into planned production.

The Agreement Is Not Yet a Mass-Production Contract

An important distinction is that the companies have signed a Letter of Intent, rather than announcing that large-scale production has already begun.

The agreement establishes the direction of future cooperation and plans for production in Finland.

The precise production volumes and timetable have not been publicly specified in the available announcements.

Ukrainian and Finnish Leaders Discussed the Partnership

The cooperation was announced during a Ukrainian-Finnish defense-industry roundtable in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb participated in discussions on expanding cooperation between the two countries’ defense industries.

The partnership therefore forms part of broader Ukrainian-Finnish defense cooperation.

Cooperation Goes Beyond Aerial Drones

According to Zelenskyy’s comments cited by InVenture, the agreements reached during the Ukrainian-Finnish discussions extend beyond aerial drone production.

They also include cooperation on maritime unmanned systems and plans to establish production of ground robotic systems.

This suggests that unmanned technology cooperation between Ukraine and Finland could eventually cover several domains.

General Cherry Has Expanded Rapidly

General Cherry was founded in Ukraine after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The company has focused on unmanned systems designed for Ukraine’s defense forces and has expanded its production capabilities as demand for drones increased.

Its international expansion is now moving into the European defense market.

The Company Reports Large Production Volumes

InVenture reports that General Cherry generated approximately UAH 1.5 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025 and that its monthly production reached around 50,000 drones.

Those figures illustrate the scale the company has reached during the war.

However, the planned Finnish production site would represent an additional manufacturing base rather than a simple relocation of all Ukrainian production.

Patria Is Majority-Owned by Finland

Patria is majority-owned by the Finnish state.

According to the company’s own information, 50.1% of Patria is owned by the State of Finland, while 49.9% is owned by Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Patria also owns 50% of ammunition manufacturer Nammo.

The Partnership Strengthens Nordic-Ukrainian Cooperation

The agreement also fits into a broader pattern of growing defense cooperation between Ukraine and Nordic countries.

Finland has become an important partner for Ukraine in defense, technology and industrial cooperation.

The new drone initiative adds another layer to that relationship.

A Potential Gateway to the European Market

Producing in Finland could help Ukrainian defense technology move closer to European customers.

Instead of developing and manufacturing entirely within Ukraine, General Cherry would have access to an established European industrial environment.

This could simplify cooperation with European defense companies and potentially support future procurement programs.

European Defense Procurement Is Changing

European countries are increasingly investing in drones and counter-drone systems.

The experience of the war in Ukraine has demonstrated that relatively inexpensive unmanned systems can have a major impact on the battlefield.

As European governments expand their defense spending, demand for these technologies is likely to remain strong.

The Partnership Could Benefit Both Sides

For General Cherry, the agreement provides access to Patria’s infrastructure, expertise and European industrial network.

For Patria, cooperation with a Ukrainian manufacturer offers access to battlefield-tested development experience and rapidly evolving drone technologies.

The companies can therefore complement rather than simply duplicate each other’s capabilities.

Technology Development Will Be Important

The value of the partnership will depend not only on how many drones can eventually be produced.

Joint development could allow the companies to combine Ukrainian operational feedback with European engineering, manufacturing and systems-integration capabilities.

This could result in new unmanned systems designed specifically for future European defense requirements.

Production Outside Ukraine Offers Additional Resilience

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian defense-industrial infrastructure.

Having some production capacity in a partner country can provide additional resilience to Ukraine’s defense supply chain.

At the same time, it allows Ukrainian companies to continue developing their technologies even when production inside Ukraine faces wartime risks.

The Partnership Fits the “Build With Ukraine” Model

The broader European approach increasingly emphasizes joint production rather than simply sending finished equipment to Ukraine.

Localizing Ukrainian defense technologies in European countries can increase total production capacity while keeping Ukrainian expertise directly involved.

The General Cherry-Patria agreement is consistent with this model of deeper industrial integration.

Finland Could Become an Important Production Location

Finland has a highly developed industrial and technological base and a growing defense sector.

For Ukraine, cooperation with Finnish manufacturers provides an opportunity to integrate Ukrainian technologies into a secure European production environment.

For Finland, partnerships with Ukrainian companies provide access to technologies developed under intense real-world operational pressure.

The Partnership Is Part of a Wider Drone Expansion

General Cherry’s agreement with Patria is not an isolated development.

Other Ukrainian drone manufacturers have also been establishing production partnerships in European countries.

Earlier in 2026, Ukrainian defense company TAF Industries and Finnish Summa Defence announced plans to expand drone production in Finland under the Build with Ukraine initiative.

This indicates a broader trend toward moving parts of Ukraine’s defense production into partner countries.

What Happens Next

The next stage will involve turning the Letter of Intent into a concrete production project.

The companies will need to determine the manufacturing model, facilities, technologies, product portfolio and production schedule.

The available announcements do not yet provide specific information about the number of drones that could be produced in Finland.

A New European Chapter for Ukrainian Drone Technology

The planned cooperation between General Cherry and Patria represents another step in the internationalization of Ukraine’s defense industry.

Ukrainian drone technology developed under wartime conditions is moving into European industrial partnerships, while Finnish production capabilities could help scale those technologies.

If the project proceeds as planned, Finland could become another important production base for Ukrainian unmanned systems and a platform for developing new technologies for both Ukraine and European defense customers.

The planned General Cherry-Patria partnership would bring Ukrainian drone manufacturing into Finland while combining General Cherry’s battlefield-driven expertise with Patria’s established defense-industrial capabilities. The Letter of Intent does not yet represent a mass-production contract, but it establishes a framework for future production and joint development of unmanned systems for Ukraine and potentially European customers.