There were few, if any, people in the room who weren’t aware of the meeting under way that afternoon in Saudi Arabia—Russian and American diplomats talking about the future of Ukraine with no Ukrainian input. But none of the 3,000 attendees at the defense forum in Kyiv—a combination conference and expo designed to bring startups, investors, soldiers, and government officials together to discuss Ukraine’s burgeoning defense industry—mentioned the proceedings in Riyadh.
Even if a peace deal is signed in coming months, the world-class weapons industry that has emerged in Ukraine since Moscow’s invasion in 2022 is likely to play a pivotal role in the country’s future—both as a deterrent against future Russian aggression and an export-driven pillar of the Ukrainian economy.
The sprawling expo showcased just how much the fighting in Ukraine has transformed war as we know it. The four or five dozen companies present ranged from fledgling startups to established manufacturers producing at scale for the Ukrainian armed forces. Exhibition booths featured every conceivable type of drone, large and small, for use in the air, at sea, and on the ground. Also on display was a range of electronic-warfare jamming and spoofing devices.
