Poland plans to test domestically produced military equipment on Ukraine’s battlefield as part of deepening defense cooperation, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said on Wednesday, April 29.
Defense24 reported that Tomczyk, speaking on the sidelines of the Road to Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rzeszow, said Ukraine offers a “unique testing ground” due to its direct combat experience against a conventional army.
“[This is] the real picture of what works and what does not,” he said, adding that Polish equipment should first be tested domestically before being evaluated under real battlefield conditions in Ukraine.
Tomczyk said expanding cooperation in drone technologies is a priority, including increased collaboration between Polish and Ukrainian companies. He cited WB Electronics as an example of an existing partner already working with Ukraine.
He also confirmed that joint drone production on Polish territory is being considered, though it would require a mutually beneficial cooperation model that takes into account Ukraine’s wartime needs.
The remarks come as Poland and Ukraine seek to shift their relationship toward deeper industrial and technological cooperation, moving beyond a donor-recipient model.
The Rzeszow event is part of preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled for June in Gdansk, where officials and industry representatives are exploring joint defense projects aligned with battlefield demands.
On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has finalized all state-level decisions needed to begin exporting domestically produced weapons, marking a significant shift in the country’s defense-industrial policy amid the ongoing war with Russia.
According to Zelensky, the framework will cover the production and supply of drones, missiles, ammunition, and other in‑demand weapons systems, as well as military equipment, software, integration with partners’ defense systems, and the exchange of Ukrainian technological expertise.
He also stressed that Ukraine’s Armed Forces will have priority access to required weapons.