European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new EU-wide drone partnership with Ukraine during a speech in Kyiv on Wednesday, part of a broader defence industrial agreement that aims to expand to anti-ballistic missiles by 2028. The deal seeks to pair Ukraine’s battlefield‑tested drone know‑how with European manufacturing muscle, with von der Leyen pointing to the EU’s “huge technological and industrial capacity” as a key asset for joint projects. Nineteen founding companies from both sides have signed on, and the initiative is intended to cut red tape and harmonise standards. The announcement came as Russia struck Odesa with drones and missiles, killing three people, while Ukraine reported hitting 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight, deepening a dispute over Black Sea shipping routes.