After regaining independence, Ukraine began exporting weapons inherited from the Soviet Union as early as 1992. During Leonid Kravchuk’s presidency, the country’s share of the European arms market ranged from 0.9% to 2.5%. This is reported by Dengi.ua, citing an infographic from “Slovo i Dilo.”
At the same time, the State Export Control Service and the company “Ukrspetsexport” were not established until late 1996. Prior to that, arms exports were carried out without a clearly defined system and often at below-market prices. Ukrainian weapons were supplied to zones of armed conflict within the former Soviet Union - in Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and Tajikistan - as well as to a number of African countries.
Arms Exports During the Kuchma Era
The peak volumes of arms shipments during Leonid Kuchma’s presidency occurred in 1999 and 2000. At that time, Ukraine exported 1,107 and 1,424 SIPRI units, respectively, which accounted for 8.5% and 12% of the European market.
Significant export volumes were also recorded in 1997-1998 and in 2001. At the same time, the beginning of Kuchma’s first presidential term and the end of his second were marked by more modest figures - ranging from 1.6% of total European exports in 2004 to 6.3% in 1998.
The high figure for 1999 is largely explained by an agreement to settle gas debts to Russia through the transfer of Tu-160 strategic bombers, Tu-95MS missile carriers, and Kh-55 cruise missiles. As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists discovered, the serial numbers of the latter correspond to the missiles Russia used to strike Ukraine during the Great War. The agreement itself was signed by the prime ministers of Ukraine and the Russian Federation - Valery Pustovoytenko and Vladimir Putin.
The Yushchenko Presidency
From 2005 to 2009, the volume of Ukrainian arms exports ranged from 299 to 640 units (according to SIPRI), accounting for 2.3–3.9% of the European market. This was slightly below the average figures for the Kuchma era, excluding the record-breaking years of 1999 and 2000. It was during that period that Ukraine began actively selling not only Soviet-era weapons but also domestically produced models.
During those years, the country also expanded the geographic scope of its exports. One of the most notable episodes was military-technical cooperation with Georgia shortly before the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. As Saakashvili reported in 2018, thanks to the air defense systems provided by Ukraine, Georgian troops shot down 12 Russian aircraft at that time.
Export Growth Under Yanukovych
From 2010 to 2013, Ukraine once again increased its arms sales abroad. Exports peaked in 2012, reaching 1,497 SIPRI units - or 9.5% of the total European market - which set a record for the entire period under review. In other years, the volume of deliveries also exceeded 500 SIPRI units.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army continued to downsize, and its arsenal continued to shrink. During this period, the Ministry of Defense was headed by Dmytro Salamatin and Pavlo Lebedyev, who were later suspected of high treason. In addition, the state-owned concern “Ukroboronprom” was established in 2012 and continues to operate today following its restructuring.
Decline in Exports After 2014
Following the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine, arms exports began to decline rapidly. In 2014, fulfilling previously signed contracts, the country supplied 632 SIPRI units of arms. After 2017, exports no longer exceeded 300 SIPRI TIV units.
Deliveries declined even more sharply after the start of full-scale war. In 2023 and 2024, exports were estimated at just 29 SIPRI units, accounting for about 0.2% of the European market. In 2025, the figure rose to 120 units; however, SIPRI does not explain the reason for this increase, despite the ongoing ban on arms exports.
In early 2026, Ukraine issued its first permits for the sale of arms abroad, leading analysts to anticipate a gradual recovery in export volumes. According to official estimates, the production capacity of the domestic defense industry is approximately $55 billion; however, domestic funding is insufficient to keep factories operating at full capacity.
Military Equipment Exports According to UNROCA
Analysts also examined data from the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA), which tracks the actual number of units transferred and allows for an assessment of the structure of Ukrainian exports.
- Tanks and Armored Vehicles
Sales of heavy armored vehicles began in 1993. Since gaining independence, Ukraine has exported 1,496 tanks and 1,950 armored fighting vehicles. The highest figure was recorded in 2010 - 246 tanks and 90 APCs. Other major periods of deliveries include 2007 (151 tanks and 188 APCs), 2012 (109 tanks and 209 APCs), and 1999 (132 tanks and 113 APCs).
The bulk of exports consisted of T-72 and T-62 tanks, as well as Ukrainian “Oplot” tanks - a modernized version of the T-84, which was primarily purchased by Thailand. Among the armored vehicles exported were the BMP-1 and BMP-2, the BTR-70 and BTR-80, as well as the more modern BTR-3 and BTR-4.
- Artillery and Missile Weapons
Since gaining independence, Ukraine has exported 795 large-caliber artillery systems and 5,298 missiles, along with their launchers. The largest artillery shipments occurred in 2020 (199 units), 2010 (122), 2019 (100), and 2005 (89). The highest volumes of missile weapon exports were recorded in 2006 (929 units) and in 1999 (790 units).
Among the exported models were the BM-21 “Grad” multiple rocket launchers, BM-27 “Uragan” and BM-30 “Smerch,” 2S1 “Gvozdika” self-propelled artillery systems, 2S3 “Akatsiya” and 2S7 “Pion,” as well as “Tochka-U” systems, various air defense systems, and cruise missiles.
- Combat Aircraft and Helicopters
According to UNROCA, Ukraine exported 451 combat aircraft and 158 attack helicopters. The largest number of aircraft was sold in 2000 - 71 units. In 2009, 60 aircraft were delivered, and in 2006 and 2007, 55 and 54, respectively. The peak year for helicopter exports was 2001, with 40 units. In 1998 and 1999, 25 and 19 helicopters, respectively, were shipped abroad.
The list of aircraft supplied included the Su-27, Su-25, Su-24, and MiG-29, as well as the Mi-24 and Mi-8/17 helicopters. After 2014, Ukraine ceased exporting aircraft in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, focusing instead on the sale of aircraft engines and other products manufactured by Motor Sich and Antonov.
- Warships
According to UNROCA data, Ukraine exported three large combat ships. Two of them were Project 958 “Zubr” hovercraft landing ships built for China. The first was delivered to Beijing in 2013; the second, after being evacuated from Crimea in 2014, was also sent to the customer.
Another exported vessel was the missile boat “Konotop,” which was transferred to Georgia in 1999. After being renamed “Tbilisi,” it became the flagship of the Georgian Navy, but was destroyed by Russian forces during the 2008 war.