Ukrainian Defence Innovation Delegation Visits Germany: Building Practical Partnerships for European Security

In December, the German-Ukrainian Bureau (DUB), together with its Ukrainian partner Defence Robotics UA, hosted a Ukrainian Defence Innovation Delegation in Germany, bringing experienced practitioners from the front lines of Ukraine’s technological warfare to Loccum, Berlin and Munich.

The delegation included representatives of the legendary Da Vinci Wolves Battalion (Окремий батальйон Вовки Да Вінчі) and Come Back Alive (Повернись живим), Ukraine’s most important charitable organization supporting the Armed Forces.

The purpose of the visit was clear: to enable direct, practice-oriented exchanges between Ukrainian defence innovators and German decision-makers, industry representatives, and experts. For better or worse, Ukraine has become a global laboratory for defence innovation. Technologies developed and battle-tested under real combat conditions are already shaping the future of warfare—and will inevitably influence European security for decades to come.

From Loccum and Berlin to Munich: Dialogue Across Policy, Industry, and the Front Line

The visit began on December 9 with participation in a transatlantic seminar on Ukraine, which the German-Ukrainian Bureau has been organizing for the second consecutive year in partnership with the Evangelical Academy in Loccum. Members of the delegation took part in panel discussions and workshops focusing on the current situation in Ukraine and the role of innovation in today’s full-scale war.

The visit continued in Berlin with the meetings at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), and the Bundestag. These discussions focused on lessons learned from the battlefield, procurement realities, and what Germany can realistically adopt from Ukraine’s experience in rapid defence innovation.

On the second day, the delegation participated in a background discussion at the Federation of German Industries (BDI), where Ukrainian defence companies and German experts explored what concrete cooperation could look like in practice—and what regulatory and structural barriers still need to be addressed to enable deeper collaboration.

A key political exchange followed at the Bundestag with Marcus Röwekamp (CDU), Chairman of the Defence Committee. The conversation centered on operational realities, innovation cycles under wartime pressure, and the gap between frontline needs and traditional procurement systems.

One of the highlights of the visit was a reception at Quantum-Systems, which had just announced the first German-Ukrainian joint venture for serial drone production together with Frontline Robotics. The newly established Quantum Frontline Industries brings together Ukrainian battlefield expertise in UAV development with Germany’s industrial manufacturing capabilities—offering a tangible example of what committed bilateral defence cooperation can achieve.

The day continued with a press briefing, where representatives of the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion and Come Back Alive shared first-hand battlefield experience with German journalists. Their accounts focused on what works, what fails, and what is urgently needed—cutting through abstractions and offering a rare, unfiltered perspective from the front lines. The visit concluded in Berlin with a larger discussion event bringing together policymakers, industry representatives, journalists, and civil society.

Final Stop: Hands-On Exchange in Munich

The final stop of the delegation was Munich, with a visit to Quantum-Systems, one of Germany’s most innovative ISR drone manufacturers. Beyond a factory tour, the visit turned into a spontaneous, hands-on working exchange between Ukrainian operators who use these systems daily in combat and the engineers who design and build them.

At flipcharts, flight patterns were sketched, deployment scenarios debated, and direct battlefield feedback shared. There were no polished presentations—just practitioners and developers discussing what works, what needs improvement, and what truly matters under combat conditions. These are the conversations where innovation happens: when real-world experience meets research and development.

A Strategic Direction for DUB’s Work

This visit reflects a growing focus of the German-Ukrainian Bureau on defence innovation, security cooperation, and practitioner-to-practitioner dialogue. Strengthening Europe’s security requires learning from Ukraine—not in theory, but in practice. Creating spaces for honest, direct, and technically grounded exchanges is essential to building partnerships that deliver real impact.

The visit was organized by the German-Ukrainian Bureau together with Defence Robotics UA, with the support of Quantum-Systems.