WIY Drones
Ukrainian maker of Strila interceptor drones; Quantum Systems' partner in Quantum WIY Industries.
WIY Drones' joint venture with Quantum Systems will build several tens of thousands of interceptor drones in Ukraine with German money, under a package Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in Kyiv on 4 October 2026.
Last refreshed: 26 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a Ukrainian start-up build tens of thousands of interceptors on German money?
Timeline for WIY Drones
Formed the interceptor joint venture with Quantum Systems
Drones: Industry & Defence: Merz funds interceptors built in UkraineBackground
WIY Drones is the Ukrainian half of Quantum WIY Industries, the joint venture that Quantum Systems says will build "several tens of thousands" of interceptor drones in Ukraine with German money. Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the package in Kyiv on 4 October 2026; neither company has published a unit count or a contract value.
WIY makes the Strila interceptor, a drone built to ram attack drones such as the Shahed. Quantum Systems announced a stake in WIY on 23 March 2026, alongside an order for 15,000 Strila interceptors for Ukrainian forces, and the two announced the joint venture in Berlin on 14 April 2026. In August, Ukrainian troops began testing WIY's Spys interceptor against jet-powered drones.
The venture is one of the German-Ukrainian "Build with Ukraine" partnerships, which scale production on Ukrainian soil with German capital. Its partner Quantum Systems was reported in July to be valued at $8bn.
Who makes the drones for Quantum WIY Industries?
What is the WIY Strila interceptor drone?
When did Quantum Systems invest in WIY Drones?
How many interceptor drones is Germany funding in Ukraine?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 26 October 2026. Editorial standards.