Philippines eyes Ukraine’s drone know-how for South China Sea

Manila likes the look of Kyiv’s low-cost drones, but adapting battlefield tech to grey-zone sea stand-offs won’t be easy

Others are more cautious, urging the Philippines to first assess whether Ukraine’s battle-hardened drone tactics are even suitable for a murky maritime “grey zone” of surveillance and coastguard encounters.

The diplomatic groundwork for the mooted “Drone Deal” framework was laid on July 24 when Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, met a Philippine delegation led by Undersecretary of National Defence Salvador Mison on his first official visit to Kyiv.

According to a statement from the Ukrainian president’s office, the two sides have agreed to begin work on a possible deal, deepening a defence relationship that has been building since Ukraine first floated a memorandum of understanding last year covering drone co-production, technology exchange and cybersecurity cooperation.