Ukraine lifts import duties and VAT on fiber optics for drone production
FPV drone on fiber optics (Photo: Ministry of Defense)

The Verkhovna Rada has exempted from import duties and value-added tax (VAT) optical fiber, fiber-optic harnesses, and cables used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other defense-related products. The parliament passed the relevant bills No. 13305 and No. 13306 with a constitutional majority — 302 and 303 votes in favor, respectively.

Fiber-optic drones are resistant to electronic intelligence and electronic warfare, making them critically important for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. However, most optical components are still imported into Ukraine.

Removing import taxes is expected to lower their cost.

According to parliamentary estimates, the exemption will result in relatively small losses for the state budget (approximately UAH 30 million), but these will be more than offset by savings on public procurement — estimated at over UAH 130 million in 2025.

Russia currently holds an advantage over Ukraine in the deployment of fiber-optic drones, a fact acknowledged even at the highest levels of Ukraine’s military command.

Colonel Kyrylo Veres, commander of the separate K-2 Unmanned Systems Regiment, predicts that 2025 will be the "year of fiber optics" on the battlefield.

"If now only 10 out of 100 units on the front line are operational while the other 90 aren’t — that’s not a real metric. But when 90 out of 100 are flying, and just 10 are still struggling — that will be the breakthrough," he said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

  • According to the Ministry of Defense, Ukraine currently has the capacity to manufacture up to 10 million various types of drones annually.