Italian defense contractor opens company in Ukraine — news outlet

ROME, August 21. /TASS/. The state-owned Italian defense giant Leonardo has opened a subsidiary in Ukraine, the MF-Milano Finanza news outlet reported.

According to its information, the group has established Leonardo Ukraine, a company wholly owned by it through its subsidiary Leonardo International, thereby consolidating it within the group.

Earlier, CEO Lorenzo Mariani expressed the group’s interest in Kiev’s military technologies, particularly drone production. "We must cooperate with Ukraine, which has gained unique experience during the conflict, and our cooperation will focus on drone production," the specialized economic news portal quoted him as saying.

The CEO also confirmed that the group will test its new air defense system, dubbed the Michelangelo Dome, in Ukraine. This project was initiated by Mariani’s predecessor, Roberto Cingolani, who was forced to resign earlier this year.

MF-Milano Finanza noted that Leonardo Ukraine, headquartered in Kiev, is an independent legal entity, not a representative office. Leonardo Ukraine has been registered in the commercial registry since May 20, 2026, and its scope of activities is fairly broad. Its primary activity is stated as research and development in scientific and technical fields. It also includes the production of communications equipment, measuring and navigation instruments, specialized equipment, software development, IT services, and the design, installation, and maintenance of electronic and optical systems.

Leonardo will collaborate with the state-run Brave1 platform, which brings together 2,500 companies and more than 5,000 technological solutions, including databases from the US company Palantir for training military AI.

Previously, Leonardo signed an agreement with the Turkish company Baykar to establish a joint venture for producing military drones.