Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov during the presentation of the new grant program EU4UA Defence Tech, Kyiv, Ukraine, December 1, 2025.
Mykhailo Fedorov/Telegram
As explained by the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the details of the developer funding program are provided in the ZEDigital Telegram channel
The European Union and Ukraine are launching a new grant program for the Brave1 defence cluster – EU4UA Defence Tech, with a total fund of €3.3 million. A key focus is financing interceptor drone developers and radar systems capable of strengthening the protection of Ukraine’s sky from Russian attacks. The program was presented by the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, and the EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova in Kyiv on December 1.
“Today, 99% of our weapons, with which we kill the enemy and destroy their equipment, – all this is thanks to technologies that are rapidly developing, being developed and constantly updated in Ukraine. If we want to build relationships with our partners who fund and assist us, we need to create products together that these countries will also use to defend themselves”
– Mykhailo Fedorov
According to Fedorov, this grant initiative is aimed at developing interceptor drones that will counter Iranian Shahed UAVs and their Russian counterparts “Gerber,” which the enemy regularly uses to attack Ukraine.
“This program will be targeted at high-speed interceptors that will achieve speeds of more than 450 kilometres per hour”
– Minister
The main goal of the first stage is to strengthen Ukraine’s sky defense: the development of high-speed interceptors and radar systems. The maximum grant amount is €150,000, which exceeds the standard threshold for the Brave1 defence cluster. The funding covers technology validation, prototype creation, and testing.
The start of the first stage is planned for December 1. Companies with development at TRL 5–6 are invited to participate. The deadline for applications is January 14, 2026.
In 2026, two more stages are planned, the themes of which will correspond to current frontline challenges.
In November 2025, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that the Ukrainian interceptor drone Octopus had been launched into mass production in Ukraine. The technology was handed over to the first three manufacturers, with another 11 preparing production lines.
